Bacolod mayor keeping eye on new top cop’s performance

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – It should not happen again.

This was stressed by Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez in reaction to the dumping of dead bodies here recently.

In a press briefing yesterday, Benitez said Police Colonel Noel Aliño, acting director of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), already met with him.

In the past weeks, four persons were found dead in three separate areas here.

The first incident was reported in Barangay Alijis where a call center agent was found dead with multiple stab wounds in a nipa hut on April 24.

Police eyed robbery hold-up as possible motive in the incident, considering that the valuables of the victim were reportedly missing.

It was followed by another incident in Barangay Felisa, where the skeletons of an unidentified person and a decomposing body of another unidentified person sealed in a sack were found dumped in a concrete pipe along the Economic highway on April 30. Police have yet to identify these victims.

The latest incident was the discovery of the decomposing remains of another person sealed in a sack and also dumped in a concrete pipe along the Economic Highway in Barangay Cabug on May 2. Police later identified the victim as an alleged drug offender from Silay City.

Benitez said that he was told by the police that there were no missing persons here and that the victims were from outside the city.

Benitez said the BCPO is increasing its police visibility and mobility to prevent the same from happening.

Although he did not comment further, Benitez said that the BCPO already knows what to do.

“Lantawon ta kung ano iya himu-on. Give him (Aliño) a little more time to perform,” he added.

Benitez said that there’s no need for a timeline to solve these cases.  He, however, stressed that these incidents should not occur again.

Upon his assumption, Aliño has earlier emphasized his directive to the BCPO personnel to maximize police presence in order to prevent crimes here.

Benitez said he is giving Aliño enough time to perform and solve the cases of body dumping in the city.

“Kabalo naman na sia sang ila himoon, I am giving him a little more time to perform.”

Earlier, a business leader here on Sunday called on the city government and the police not to take lightly the series of “body dumping” incidents.

Frank Carbon, chief executive officer of Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MBCCI), told Daily Guardian that crimes create fear in the business sector and the community.

“This should not be taken lightly by our civilian and police authorities or treated as isolated cases,” Carbon further said.

He further said that “they have to come out and condemn these crimes and assure the public they swore to serve that they will use the resources at their disposal to solve these crimes and to prevent the commission of same crimes in the future.

This is very bad for business,” Carbon lamented.

He pointed out that “this will deter investors from outside of the city and province to come in and do business.” (With a report from Dolly Yasa)