NEWSBRIEFS

ISABELA

3 bodies found

Police unearthed the bodies of three decapitated men in a farm in Barangay (village) Bagong Tanza in Aurora town on Monday afternoon.

Supt. Manuel Bringas, chief of the Isabela provincial police office’s plans and operations branch, said policemen and volunteers had difficulty removing the bodies from a 4-meter deep grave because these had been covered in concrete.

Bringas said the relatives of the victims later identified them as Gabriel Tenio, 29; Noel Te-od, 18; and Johnny Languit, 19, all residents of Pinukpuk town in Kalinga province, 93 kilometers from this town. Aster Mamauag-Caruso, a relative of one of the victims, said they had been looking for the three men since May 3. Tips from informants led the relatives to the grave’s location, police said. The victims’ relatives identified them through their clothes. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon

DAGUPAN CITY

3 rob suspects tagged

Police on Monday identified three of the 10 suspects in last week’s robbery of an appliance and jewelry store and pawnshop in this city. Senior Supt. Sterling Raymund Blanco, Pangasinan police director, said witnesses had identified Jomel Tamalla, Bernard Tolentino Pating and Ephraim John Evangelista from a a rogues gallery.

Blanco said the three men belong to the Gaga robbery and holdup group operating in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. On Saturday, 10 armed men entered the BHF Appliance and Gemline store on A.B. Fernandez Avenue here at 12:40 p.m. They immediately disarmed two of the store’s security guards and announced a holdup. As they were taking jewelry from the display shelves, a third guard shot and killed one of them. The suspects then engaged the guard in a brief fire fight as they escaped, taking with them some P3.5 million worth of jewelry. Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon

CAVITE

2 rob suspects slain

A policeman shot dead two alleged criminals who were trying to steal the lawman’s motorcycle in Dasmariñas City on Tuesday noon.

Supt. Carlos Barde, Dasmariñas City police chief, in a phone interview on his way to the crime scene, said the two men, who rode tandem on a motorcycle, tried to steal the motorcycle of PO2 Francis Hernandez in Barangay Sampaloc 3.

Quoting Hernandez, Barde said the former fought back and shot dead the supposed robbers. “They might not have  known that he was a cop,” Barde said, since Hernandez was off duty when the incident took place around noon.

He said police investigation was under way to identify the slain men. Hernandez, who is also assigned to Dasmariñas City, did not attempt to escape. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon

ILOILO CITY

T. Millamena; 67

Former Obismo Maximo (supreme bishop) Tomas Millamena of Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI), or Philippine Independent Church, died due to a lingering illness on Sunday evening in Iloilo City. He was 67.

Millamena, bishop of IFI’s Diocese of Iloilo, died at Iloilo Mission Hospital, according to Fr. Marco Sulayao, diocesan vicar general. Millamena was a known human rights advocate who spoke for workers rights and against abuses and corruption.

On July 11, 1999, Millamena was installed the IFI’s 10th Obismo Maximo, heading the 10 million-member church. He served the post until 2005.

Millamena’s remains lie at IFI Cathedral in La Paz district in Iloilo City. His remains will be brought on June 6 to his residence in Culasi town in Antique. Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas