BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL G. BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – A 64-year-old former New People’s Army (NPA) rebel eluded policemen who were attempting to serve him a warrant of arrest in Barangay Sag-ang, La Castellana, Negros Occidental early morning yesterday.
Ramonito Osano is La Castellana’s most wanted person. He faces five criminal charges including murder and homicide.
La Castellana police chief Police Captain Rhojn Darell Nigos said Osano had been in hiding for more than five years. Cops learned of his location just this Monday night.
According to Nigos, at around 5 a.m. they attempted to serve Osano’s warrant of arrest, however, the suspect managed to bolt out of his hiding spot.
Nigos said they were unable to engage Osano, as the area where he was hiding was heavily populated and they were concerned that they might accidentally hit innocent civilians.
A search of Osano’s hiding spot yielded a fragmentation grenade, a .45 caliber pistol, and an M16 assault rifle.
A hot-pursuit operation was launched yesterday./PN
