Valmoria asks PRO-7:  Punish 5 Cordova cops

Cebu Provincial Police director Carmelo Valmoria yesterday asked the Police Regional Office to punish four policemen and the station chief of the Cordova Police in connection with the escape last December 27 of an arrested drug suspect from their custody.

The power of Valmoria to impose sanctions is limited only to lighter penalties so he endorsed the case to the PRO-7, which could impose heavier penalties of even dismissal from service against abusive policemen.

The five Cordova policemen are police station head, Chief Insp. Bonifacio Tecson, SPO1 Ebenezer Cadilina, SPO1 Henry Amores, PO2 Arnel Resente. and PO1 Arthur Santillan.

Resente and Santillan were about to bring drug suspect Joseph Rosane to the Regional Trial Court in Lapu-Lapu City for the filing of charges against him but then he escaped from their custody and disappeared into the shanties at the back of the police station.

The policemen denied reports of the escape to Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy, the media and even to the investigators from the CPPO. About three hours later, the suspect was rearrested and he admitted to CPPO investigators that he escaped, corroborating the earlier reports but showing that the Cordova policemen were wrong in their denial.

Valmoria, in his recommendation submitted to PRO-7, said that he was not satisfied with the report of SPO1 Amores over the case and on what to do with Resente and Santillan.

Amores, in his report to Valmoria that had the endorsement of Tecson, said the “two policemen did not expect the suspect (Rosane) to run and flee even with handcuffs,” Then he suggested that the two policemen undergo supervisory training or courses about handling similar cases of suspects in police custody.

Amores also concluded that the suspect did not behave normally so he suggested the latter to undergo a neuro-psychiatric examination and drug rehabilitation.

Citing this kind of investigation report, Valmoria asked PRO-7 to charge Resente and Santillan with infidelity of custody. He also wanted SPO1s Amores and Cadilina be charged with incompetence in their work, and Tecson with command responsibility and serious neglect of duty. The police chief allegedly failed to determine the veracity of the Amores report, said Valmoria. — Garry B. Lao/RAE