Quezon town cop chief sacked over escape

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna – The regional police command has relieved the police chief of Sariaya town following the escape of the mayor’s bodyguards who were arrested in a checkpoint while in possession of 10 firearms last Friday.

Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan Jr., regional police director, ordered the relief of Chief Inspector Sergio Vivar for dereliction of duty and placed his 10 men under investigation. Chief Inspector Ronnie Miralles took over as officer-in-charge of the Sariaya police.

Combined elements of the 743rd Combat Squadron of the Philippine Air Force and 415th Police Mobile Group apprehended the bodyguards of Mayor Connie Doromal along the highway in Barangay Montecillo.

Seized from their Hummer vehicle were two M-16 Armalite rifles, an AK-47 rifle, six .45 caliber pistols and a 9-mm pistol.

Senior Superintendent Hernando Zafra, Quezon police director, identified Doromal’s bodyguards as Edmund Lat, Reynaldo Lorena, Demy Umali, Cristino Medina, Donato Amorado, and Rex Saliva.

Zafra said the suspects were brought to the Sariaya police station where they admitted being Doromal’s security personnel.

For unknown reasons, however, the suspects managed to escape from the police station during their interrogation.