ARREST 'LOOMS' V. ANTI-DRUGS COPS

ARREST warrants on the 15 John Does tagged in the Salabas-Suganob-Lumonjo
multiple murder case will reportedly come out anytime soon.

Reports indicate the suspects, implicated along with detained Senior Insp.
Clarence Dongail, are also no ordinary individuals; some are top-ranking
officials of the Bacolod City Police Office, particularly the personnel of
the city police Drug Enforcement Unit.

Dongail, a certain "Dodong" and the 15 John Does were linked to the
kidnap-slay of the victims -- former Barangay Pahanocoy head Eleuterio
"Dodong" Salabas and his two companions, 2nd Mate Ricardo Suganob, a
Maritime instructor from Cagayan de Oro City and Salabas' nephew, Maximo
Lumonjo, of Misamis Occidental.

Reports further said the local National Bureau of Investigation headed by
Lawyer Celso Estorga, who arrested Dongail Friday last week by virtue of an
arrest warrant from a court in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental, will also serve
the warrants on the 15 John Does.

They reportedly include Senior Insp. Jimmy Fortaleza, newly-installed
Police Station 2 commander, and Insp. Jonathan Lorilla, DEU head.

Fortaleza, Dongail's mistah at the Philippine National Police Academy, said
he is yet to receive the warrant of arrest.

If ever there is any, he added, it is still part of the "demolition job"
against them and the other anti-drug operatives who spearhead the various
successful illegal drug operations in Bacolod.

On the other hand, Lorilla said he heard about what he called "rumors" that
NBI will serve on him and his 10 other personnel warrants of arrest.

He said he was surprised he and his DEU members were tagged to the murder
of Salabas and companions, who were shot dead in the head and whose bodies
were separately found in the shores of Pulupandan, Bago City and Punta
Buri, Ajuy, Iloilo City.

The victims were declared missing on the evening of Aug. 31.

Dongail was arrested in a fastfood chain in Circumferential Road, Bacolod
last Friday.

No development

On the other hand, Hinsel Ho, acting clerk of court of the Guihulngan
Municipal Trial Court, Negros Oriental, the court that issued the warrant
against Dongail, told Sun.Star Thursday that Judge Hector Barillo has not
yet issued any warrant of arrest against the other suspects.

Barillo, acting Guihulngan MTC judge, issued a commitment order, a copy of
which was furnished to Sun.Star, directing Dongail to appear in Guihulngan,
Negros Oriental by Oct. 7.

Senior Supt. George Bajelot, city police director, said he will ask the MTC
of Guihulngan to transfer Dongail's court appearance in Bacolod.

Bajelot also urged Estorga to properly coordinate with his office to avoid
any confrontation.

Witness arrested

As this developed, armed with an arrest warrant, joint operatives of the
Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office-Anti-Illegal Drugs Special
Operation Task Force (AIDSOTF) looked Thursday for alleged witness in the
slay, Louie Gersaniba Sr., at the NBI office.

Gersaniba, based on the warrant, faces qualified theft charges before the
Regional Trial Court in Himamaylan City.

However, Gersaniba was not around and his whereabouts was not yet
ascertained as of press deadline Thursday.

The warrant of arrest was issued by Judge Jose Aguire Jr., last Aug. 7,
1997, for Criminal Case Number 843.

Estorga, on the other hand, promised the AIDSOTF operatives that he will
coordinate with them once he establishes contact with Gersaniba.

On the other hand, Lawyer Janus Jarder, the witness' counsel, said he will
turn over his client to the judge once Gersaniba is available.

Jarder said Gersaniba's case is bailable.

Set of suspects

Senior Supt. Vicente Ponteras, provincial police director, disclosed that
there might be another group involved in the Salabas kidnap-slay.

"We are focusing on another angle that a different group might be involved.
But we are still working on it," Ponteras said.

Ponteras further said they are coordinating with operatives of the cities
of Bago and Cadiz, Pulupandan, in conducting their parallel investigation.