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2 Bacolod cops charged, station officials probed over jailbreak

By Nanette Guadalquiver

January 7, 2020, 4:46 pm

<p><strong>JAILBREAK.</strong> Four detainees of Bacolod City Police Office Station 3 in Barangay Mandalagan escaped early Monday morning (Jan. 6, 2020) after cutting off one of the steel bars surrounding the station’s custodial facility. The duty jailer and desk officer are facing a criminal case and undergoing administrative investigation with their superiors and other station personnel. <em>(Photo courtesy of Adrian Bobe)</em></p>

JAILBREAK. Four detainees of Bacolod City Police Office Station 3 in Barangay Mandalagan escaped early Monday morning (Jan. 6, 2020) after cutting off one of the steel bars surrounding the station’s custodial facility. The duty jailer and desk officer are facing a criminal case and undergoing administrative investigation with their superiors and other station personnel. (Photo courtesy of Adrian Bobe)

BACOLOD CITY -- Two personnel of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) Station 3 have been charged while undergoing investigation along with their superiors and colleagues for the escape of four detainees, including three arrested for illegal drugs, on Monday.

Duty jailer, S/Sgt. Eric Olverio and desk officer, Cpl. Orwayne Jade Nadado are facing a criminal case for infidelity in the custody of prisoners under Article 223, Section 1, Chapter 5 of the Revised Penal Code.

Col. Henry Biñas, city police director, said on Tuesday he directed station chief, Maj. Ruel Culanag to arrest and detain the two, who were subsequently charged before the City Prosecutor’s Office, and subjected to the administrative investigation.

“They are directly responsible for the custody of the (detainees). (To post bail), that is their right, but I will make sure that there will be an airtight administrative case (against them),” Biñas said in a press conference.

“If negligence is proven on their part, they will be held liable for gross neglect of duty which is punishable by dismissal from the service. It is very unfortunate that one of them (Olverio) is retiring soon,” he added.

Both Olverio and Nadado have posted bail of PHP18,000 each on Tuesday. They have been disarmed and placed under the restrictive custody of Police Station 3.

Biñas said Culanag will remain as the station chief while there is an ongoing administrative investigation, which will also determine the lapses he committed.

The investigation is also looking into the administrative liability of other station personnel, including station deputy and desk supervisor, Lt. Vergel Valdepeña.

Lt. Col. Ariel Artillero, chief of Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IDMB), is leading the administrative investigation.

Biñas lamented the apparent neglect of the police officers, who were guarding the detainees. “Many policemen sacrifice their lives for their job, yet they could not even perform their duty right. What happened showed they are no longer interested in the service,” he said.

The four detainees, including high-value target Sunny Capa, 22;  Ely Lawrence Sazon, 20; Michael Peñoso, 25; and Jeffrey Elangos, 38, escaped around 12:45 a.m. on Monday after cutting one of the steel bars surrounding the custodial facility, and passed through the back door.

Both Capa and Lorence were arrested in a PHP9.1-million shabu buy-bust in Barangay Banago on Dec. 21, 2019 while Peñoso was caught in a separate drug operation.

Manhunt for the four escapees is ongoing. (PNA)


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