Motorcycle thieves busted in Sibulan town

DUMAGUETE CITY , Philippines   â€” Police operatives on Thursday arrested three suspects believed to be engaged in the illegal buying and selling of stolen motorcycles in the city and neighboring towns during an entrapment operation in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

The suspects were identified as Rizaldo Sabejon, 48, and his son, RizJun Clint, 18, of Taguluan, Misamis Oriental and temporarily staying at a rented house in Sibulan, and Albert Maghanoy, 21, of Brgy. Balugo also in Sibulan.

The arrests came after close surveillance of the suspected thieves of motorcycles, according to Insp. Robelito Mariano, chief of the provincial PNP Highway Patrol Group.

A buy-bust and entrapment operations led the joint team of the HPG and the Dumaguete City Police to the rented residence of Sabejon at sitio Campaclan in Brgy. Poblacion of Sibulan, more than 10 kilometers north of Dumaguete where several chopped-up motorcycle parts were hidden in one of the rooms.

Mariano said the entrapment operation was launched Thursday noon following a complaint by Duane John Banua of Zamboanguita town in Negros Oriental. Banua, the latest motorcycle-thief victim, said his Honda XRM motorcycle was stolen that morning from where he parked it at the Dumaguete City public market complex.

When Banua returned to the parking spot, he noticed his motorcycle was already missing. At around noon, the HPG learned about two people, who turned out to be the Sabejons, trying to sell an engine of a motorcycle. This prompted the authorities to set up the buy-bust and entrapment, resulting in the arrest of the suspects.

The police said it was the elder Sabejon himself who sold the engine to a police-poseur buyer at P8,000 and told operatives he can supply them with more. The engine turned out to be that of Banua's motorcycle, and a follow-up operation led the operatives to other chopped parts of motorcycles in Sabejon's house.

In coordination with the Sibulan Police and intelligence operatives of the Dumaguete Police, the HPG team proceeded to Sabejon's house and, in the presence of barangay officials, led by Brgy. Chairman Dirke Fontelo, recovered the chopped up motorcycle parts.

Initial inventory showed 12 seats, 14 chasses and several spare parts and other accessories inside the house of the suspects. The operatives did not retrieve any motorcycle engines, which Mariano said are usually the first ones to be disposed of by the suspects because these are easily sold.

The retrieval of dismantled motorcycles and spare parts at Sabejon's rented house required no search warrant as it was a follow up operation to the entrapment earlier carried out, said Mariano.

Sabejon reportedly admitted to the authorities that he was merely buying from people he never knew personally, stolen motorcycles, including those "cannibalized" ones, at P10,000 each. He said he was aware that it was unlawful to buy stolen motorcycles and further admitted he had no business permit at all. He said he would dismantle the motorcycles sold to him and sell the engines and spare parts to junk shops or interested individuals.

Sabejon told The Freeman, in an interview, he was from Taguiloan in Misamis Oriental but when asked by the police he said he was from Cagayan de Oro City. He further claimed that he once had a shop at Maslog in Sibulan and transferred location to Campaclan only recently.

Maghanoy and Sabejon's however denied involvement in the crime, but they and the elder Sabejon were brought to the HPG headquarters in Dumaguete for further interrogation while charges for violation of anti-carnapping and anti-fencing laws are being readied against them.  (FREEMAN)