Medellin Chief Insp under investigation

CEBU, Philippines - A town police chief will be facing investigation following the escape of a 17-year-old detainee and for allegedly violating the operating procedure of the Philippine National Police in handling a detainee.

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas as well as the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch will be investigating Medellin police Chief Insp. Fructuoso Lim following the complaint of Jessie Allomado Sr., 48, of Barangay Kawit, father of detainee Jessie Allomado Jr.

The older Allomado went to the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas Tuesday and asked for help after Lim reportedly allowed the juvenile to go out of the station and buy him cigarette. This was, however, different from what Lim told The FREEMAN in a phone interview a few days after the escape. Lim said that suspect escaped through the window of the Women and Children’s Protection Desk.

“Gisurrender gani nako to mismo akong anak aron kada-adlaw namo makita bisan ug naa sa prisuhan unya ang hepe mismo ang nagpagawas…karon duha ka semana na nga wala namo kit-i (I even surrendered my son so that we can still see him even if it’s in the prison. Now it’s the chief who made him escape. We haven’t seen him for two weeks already),”Allomado Sr. said in a phone interview.

Allomado Sr. does not know the whereabouts of his son for more than two weeks now.

Lim, on the other hand, continues to deny the allegations, saying he could not afford to let a detainee escape when they have a hard time arresting it.“Tubagon lang nako na kay di mana tinuod kay problema na nuon na kung dakpon namo unya buhian lang (I will face that since it’s not true.),” Lim said.

He said that Allamado Jr., who was arrested for robbery, bolted out from the WCPD office while they were preparing necessary documents for his release from police custody at that time.

Supt. Rodulfo Albotra Jr., Provincial Intelligence and Detection Management Bureau chief, confirmed that an escape happened in Medellin Police Station, but the allegations about the detainee being asked to do errands did not reach their office. He said he will send a detective to validate the allegation of Allomado Sr.

“We will let them submit their investigation report of what transpired on the escape, and it is up to him (Lim) on how he will defend the situation,” Albotra said. “It is the right of the father man gud to seek help, and if he could come in the PIDMB office, then we can help him,” he added.

If the investigating body finds lapses in their investigation, Lim will probably face grave misconduct with dismissal from the service as the possible highest sanction.  — (FREEMAN)