By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Don Salvador Benedicto Mayor Marxlene dela Cruz lauded the town’s entire police force after they successfully arrested a group of cattle rustlers in the town last week.

In an interview with Dela Cruz yesterday morning, he congratulated his police chief, Police Lt. Eugene Tolentino, and his deputy, Police Lt. Beverly Canto, for the successful apprehension, pointing out that the group responsible for the cattle rustling has been a problem in the town since last year.

According to Dela Cruz, it’s not only them who experienced the theft of their livestock, but also their neighboring towns and cities.

“Ang aton kapulisan gakabaton reklamo nga ang ila mga kasapatan nga ginahigot lang sa higad dalan gakaladula (Our police force have long been receiving complaints from the locals that the livestock they are tying down just by the roadside are just disappearing),” he said.

The mayor said he was completely shocked and he was not expecting that the cattle rustlers will use a van in order to transport the stolen livestock.

Dela Cruz has also expressed pity not just to the theft victims, but also to the real owners of the van.

He further added the town’s residents, who are mostly simple farmers, are working hard every day in order to survive, yet some people would take the easy, yet shameful way, by stealing something they do not deserve.

Last week, the Don Salvador Benedicto Municipal Police Station intercepted a van with three occupants aboard after they allegedly stole a cow along the town’s Purok Maisan in Barangay Bunga.

Police identified the suspects as 40-year-old Jerry Genelosa, 33-year-old Rollie Francisco, and 23-year-old Clyde Ersida, all residents of Bacolod City.

Aside from the recovered stolen bovine, authorities also seized a homemade .38 caliber pistol from Genelosa and a sachet of suspected shabu from Ersida.

All three have since been charged for the incident./DGB, WDJ