Police chief faces relief over inmate who escaped

CEBU, Philippines - The police chief of Ronda town will face possible relief after a detainee escaped last Friday morning allegedly due to the carelessness of his men.

Sr. Supt. Jesus Gaquing, director of Cebu Provincial Police Office, said that he will be sending Ronda Mayor Esteban Sia the names of possible replacements of police chief Chief Insp. Januario Sario.

The jailer at the time, PO1 Benedicto Rubia, will also be relieved.

The two are now under pre-charge evaluation while the police are also looking for other posts in provincial police to reassign them to.

Last Friday morning, detainee Fernandez Blanco, 20, was able to escape after he was ordered by Rubia to throw out the garbage after they made him clean his cell.

Blanco, a resident of barangay Canduling, Ronda, was arrested for qualified theft after he allegedly stole the trisikad of his aunt so he could sell it for money to gamble.

SPO1 Jerome Pardo of the Ronda police station said that around 11:45 a.m. that day Rubia told Blanco to clean up the filthy cell and then throw the garbage outside.

Blanco did as he was ordered but never returned after Rubia let him out to throw the trash.

Rubia immediately called for assistance to locate Blanco but to no avail.

Pardo said that he was on duty at the time but he was outside the police station to eat lunch.

Aside from Rubia and Pardo, the other policemen who were on duty at the time were SPO1 George Yap and PO3 Ranulfo Gabatan.

Police believe the prisoner escaped because he missed his girlfriend and their daughter who live in Consolacion town but rarely visited him.

Gaquing advised his policemen to be more responsible and look in on their respective men and responsibilities. – Gabriel C. Bonjoc/BRP   (FREEMAN NEWS)