3 policemen relieved after inmate escapes
LOILO CITY: Three officers from Jaro Police Station have been relieved from their duties following their alleged involvement and neglect of duty in the escape of an inmate on Wednesday, February 28.
IThe escaped inmate, identified as Gabriel Carlo Tabon, was being held by the police at Iloilo City Police Station 3 for the case of Estafa.
The three officers implicated in the inmate’s escape include a police senior master sergeant, a police staff sergeant, and a patrolman.
Col. Joeresty Coronica, Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director, said that a custodial officer, nearing the end of his shift, ordered Tabon to clean the jail facility at around 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
When the patrolman finished his shift, Tabon was handed over to the incoming custodial officer, a police staff sergeant.
However, the staff sergeant failed to escort the inmate back to his cell.
Coronica said the staff sergeant explained that he had to leave the station to accompany another inmate to a judicial court and claimed that he had entrusted Tabon to a senior officer, a chief master sergeant.
A CCTV footage from the police station revealed that Tabon managed to escape through the main entrance at around 3:14 p.m. on Wednesday. His absence was not discovered until around 4 p.m.
Coronica said that he has repeatedly reminded his police force at ICPO to avoid treating prisoners with leniency or giving them menial tasks such as cleaning the office.
The dismayed ICPO chief said that the three police officers had been relieved from their positions. He added that an investigation and the filing of administrative charges against the three policemen are underway.
Tabon is a 34-year-old resident of Dr. Sixto Antonio Avenue, Barangay Caniogan, Pasig City, and was temporarily residing in Barangay Tabuc Suba, Jaro.
He was apprehended by the police in Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jaro, based on a warrant of arrest for the case of Estafa on Sept. 16, 2023.
He was granted bail of P20,000 for his temporary release but failed to provide the necessary court documents to post bail, extending his stay at the police detention cell.