ILOILO CITY – Four police officers, including the police chief, in Balasan, a town in northern Iloilo province, were sacked after a prisoner escaped.
Police Capt. Renzo Martinez and three other policemen were relieved of their posts on Thursday, Aug. 7.
Suspect Jason Navales was on board a police patrol car when he escaped.
Handling the carnapping suspect were Police Corporal Victorino Bundac, Police Staff Sgt. Russel Lumawag, and Corporal John Crisostomo.
Police Regional Office-6 chief Police Brig. Gen. Josefino Ligan ordered their relief pending investigation.
“We uphold the highest standards of professionalism and accountability. Any act of negligence or lapse in protocol will be dealt with accordingly,” said the PRO-6 in a statement.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) under Police Col. Bayani Razalan has created a fact-finding team to determine the circumstances that led to the suspect’s escape while also finding out the accountability of the policemen involved.
Navales remains at large. He has a P100,000 reward for his recapture.
“We assure the public that all necessary efforts are being exerted to recapture the escapee and to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future,” PRO-6 added.