BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan commended several personnel of the city’s Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) for the arrest of alleged pickpockets and illegal peddlers selling prohibited firecrackers in separate incidents in the city last year.
The local chief executive said the bravery of the enforcers in arrestingpickpocket suspects only shows their dedication to serve the interest of the people of the city even if they are in job order status.
On December 31, 2017, POSD enforcer Madlon arrested a certain Noraldine Boriongan Macalimpao, 23, a resident of Crystal Cave, Baguio City for violation of the city’s anti-peddling ordinance for selling packs of firecrackers worth P250 while his cohorts escaped to an undisclosed direction. The arrested individual and the confiscated pieces of evidence were brought to the BCPO headquarters for the filing of the appropriate charges against him and his possible cohorts.
With the help of the personnel of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Station No. 7 assigned at Precinct No. 1, POSD personnel were able to locate the prohibited firecrackers composed of 38 packs of 5 star, 9 pieces fountain and 16 packs of Tiger piccolo contained in 3v bags that were hidden in several rice stalls in the public market.
However, the owners of the stalls denied ownership of the prohibited firecrackers.
Records show that on December 19, 2017, POSD enforcers Rufino Madlon, Jeffrey Padsingan and Alvin Saluquen apprehended a woman, whom they previously apprehended for a case of pickpocket, for allegedly taking the cellphone of a woman who was carrying her baby inside Block 4.
The enforcers were able to collar the suspect, who was later identified as Ma. Victoria Clarin de Leon, 34, married, native and resident of Tanguili St., Pozzorubio, Pangasinan.
On December 17, 2017, the same POSD enforcers with the addition of Arnel Tualla were on monitoring along Session road when they chanced upon two male persons acting suspiciously with one of them identified as a pickpocket suspect that prompted them to look after their activities.
The enforcers saw the suspects follow a woman to the Scout Barrio parking area and saw one of them pick the cellphone of their victim from the side pocket of her jacket and immediately passed it to her companion.
The enforcers then successfully apprehend the suspects, Elmer Aligo Castro, 28, single, laborer and resident of Campo Sioco, Baguio City and Nilo Badecaw Caballero, 27, single, laborer and resident of Tuding, Itogon, Benguet.
Domogan underscored the worthy acts of the POSD personnel warrant the appropriate commendation for contributing in reducing the proliferation of the sale of illegal firecrackers and preventing the commission of petty crimes in the city’s central business district, especially in neutralizing the illegal activities of people wanting to take advantage of other individuals.
By Dexter A. See