BACOLOD CITY – The faith healer from Valladolid, Negros Occidental accused of stealing millions worth of jewelry from her client denied the accusation while detained at a police lock-up cell yesterday.

"I didn't steal anything from her. She had me arrested because she believes I'm going to employ witchcraft on her," Vivencia "Bebing" Alingalan, 55, said in a television interview.

According to the owner, a resident of Barangay Tangub in Bacolod City, the jewelry taken from her amounted to P11.8 million but about P8 million of these were already recovered.

The police said Alingalan stayed at the complainant's house on March 29 but she discovered the missing jewelry only on April 17.

Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, city police director, warned the public against trusting persons whom they not know well.

Operatives of the Bacolod City Police Investigation and Detective Management Branch entered the house of Alingalan in Barangay Palaka, Valladolid Saturday and recovered most of the jewelry items from her possession.

OUT ON BAIL

Meanwhile, after posting a P10,000 bail last Friday, the former police officer believed to be involved in P3.6-million robbery hold-up at the Central Negros Electric Cooperative has been released from jail.

Joseph Lontayao, 41, of Brgy. Fatima, General Santos City was charged for usurpation of authority after he was arrested for introducing himself as a police inspector in Barangay Bata, Bacolod City.

De la Paz said Lontayao, a bomb expert, was spotted at the safe house of the Dipolog-Ozamiz-Parohinog crime syndicate after the Ceneco robbery.

"The person we arrested in Barangay Bata who is JosephLontayao is involved in the robbery hold-up incident at Ceneco. There are also inconsistencies in his statement," he said.

Investors found that he has similarity to "Joseph Calaramo," one of the 12 suspects charged in the Ceneco robbery.*NLG