By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A police officer deployed to the 24th Panaad sa Negros Festival was allegedly victimized by thieves, carting away with his service firearm and belongings inside the Panaad Park and Stadium, Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City.
Police identified the victim as Police Officer 1 (PO1) Nash Arellano.
Police Station 7 (PS7) commander, Police Chief Inspector Charles Gever, said, based on Arellano’s testimony, he visited accommodations located on the second floor of the Escalante City Pavilion after serving his duty for the day.
The victim placed his bag beside another police officer, who was also resting, before going outside to take a short break.
However, around 30 minutes later, he returned to the pavilion and discovered all the items he left beside the resting cop were gone, believed to be stolen by unidentified individuals.
Gever said the suspects took Arellano’s 9mm Glock 17 service firearm, his firearm holster, his police cap, and a face towel.
PS7 is still conducting an investigation on the incident, looking into how the suspects managed to gain entry into the restricted portion of the second floor pavilion./WDJ