BACOLOD CITY – Police recovered 56 fighting cocks stolen from a former municipal mayor and arrested one suspect Monday in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
Five of the recovered cocks, however, were found dead, according to Police Lt. Col. Glen Provido, the city police chief.
The stolen cocks were valued at P850,000.
Provido said two men entered the farm of former Binalbagan Mayor Emmanuel Aranda by destroying the cyclone fence at the back portion of the vicinity and exited through the main gate on board a Toyota Hilux around 5 a.m.
Police, however, received reports that the suspects’ pick-up truck was sighted heading toward Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.
The vehicle driven and owned by Ariel Pilarca, 35, of Canlaon City, Negros Oriental was intercepted by the police.
Provido said Pilarca was not allowed to transport the fighting cocks via a roll-on roll-off (Roro) vessel to Cebu after he failed to provide documents to the authorities.
Pilarca was promptly arrested but his companion later identified as Julius Banu of Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental managed to escape.
Provido said Banu has an arrest warrant for robbery.
Police recovered from Pilarca the stolen fighting cocks each placed inside a “bayong,” a cellular phone, and the pick-up truck he used in the robbery incident.
Provido said Aranda’s caretaker identified the vehicle as the same car which he saw outside the farm, a day before the incident happened.
“They would usually do the casing first before striking,” he said.
He said the suspect is part of an organized robbery group that targets to rob cock farms in the province.
In fact, they also robbed a cock farm in Bago City and Hinigaran town last year, he added. (Glazyl Masculino)
