• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Mutilated human body parts were discovered on March 1 in front of the National Bureau of Investigation office at Aguinaldo Street in Brgy. 4, Bacolod City, along with a written note linking an NBI investigator to an alleged drug lord.
A severed left foot, left hand, and a pair of ears placed inside a sack, were discovered by a job order employee of NBI, according to PCapt. Glenn Montaño, Police Station 2 chief of the Bacolod City Police Office.
A note with the words “William De Arca NBI protector ni Hanz Lopez, Drug Lord” was also found inside the sack of dismembered human body parts, according to Montaño.
Based on initial police investigations, the mutilated human body parts appeared to have been frozen, as there were no bloodstains on the sack.
This was the fourth time since last year that decapitated human body parts were dumped in different areas of Bacolod City.
After more than seven years as chief of the NBI Bacolod office, Atty. Renoir Baldovino said he has not received any report in connection with the involvement of any of his men, especially Special Investigator William De Arca, in the illegal drug trade, either in Bacolod City, or Negros Occidental.
Baldovino further stressed that there is no Hans Lopez listed as a drug personality, based on their records.
He also noted that De Arca led the two recent anti-illegal gambling operations, such as illegal Small Town Lottery and E-Sabong operations, being financed by an influential person, in Brgy. Granada and Libertad Street in Bacolod City.
As they are now focusing on anti-illegal gambling operations, Baldovino raised the possibility of it being an attempt to discredit De Arca, as well as the NBI Bacolod office, as well as to divert their attention from their illegal gambling efforts.
He recalled that 2021 was their last anti-illegal drugs operation.
Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said that the incident could be a challenge to the NBI, to which Baldovino responded by saying they accept the challenge.
As to his message to the persons behind it, Benitez said “they choose the wrong city.” He did not elaborate further.
Baldovino said they are not shaken by the incident, stressing that they will continue in their mandate against the proliferation of illegal gambling.*
