BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A police investigator is now in hot water after he was arrested on May 1 by operatives of the PNP Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group (IMEG) during an entrapment operation in Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City.
Nabbed was PSSgt. Gerwin Catolico, an investigator of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) Station 2.
PCol. Joseph Thomas Martir, BCPO director, disclosed that the arrest of Catolico by IMEG operatives, in close coordination with Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, yielded a Norinco caliber .45 pistol with two magazines containing ammunition and marked money of P12,000.
The arrested police officer was the primary target of COPLAN:”Pistola” for his alleged involvement in selling of unlicensed firearms in Negros Occidental and neighboring areas, according to a report of IMEG.
Martir said that Catolico, 36, was previously relieved from BCPO and re-assigned to Police Regional Office 6 Holding Center, although he was not privy to the transfer. But Catolico later managed to return to BCPO before his latest arrest, he added.
Catolico is now being detained at the CIDG custodial facility.
On the other hand, two other suspects were separately arrested by the police in Negros Occidental on May 1 for violation of the Comelec gun ban.
The apprehension of Alemar Venus in Brgy. 12, Victorias City, for illegal discharge of firearms, yielded a homemade gun, police said.
Meanwhile, a pursuit operation against the suspect identified as Alexander Janeo in Brgy. RSB, La Carlota City, who allegedly threatened six complainants, led to his arrest on May 2.
One of the six complainants identified as Joefil Villaflor, who managed to disarm Janeo, surrendered a .22 caliber revolver with three ammunition to the La Carlota City Police Station.*
