Bago police face probe for jailbreak

NEGROS Occidental Provincial Police Office (Noppo) Director Allan Guisihan said the Bago City Philippine National Police (PNP) is under investigation for the recent jailbreak of three notorious suspects who are facing charges for a series of crimes.

Guisihan also ordered the creation of a task force to be headed by Superintendent Armando Tobongbanua to carry out the immediate arrest of the escapees who were identified as Aries Chicuva, 27, of Barangay 39; Ryan Dela Torre, 21, of Barangay 13; and Michael Victor Vergara, 18, of Barangay 13, all of Bacolod City who escaped from the detention cell of the Bago City PNP around 4 a.m. last Sunday.

The three suspects reportedly escaped by sawing off the iron grills of the window at the back of the detention cell.

The escapees were originally apprehended while they were on board a tricycle by members of the Noppo Public Safety Company led Tobongbanua at a checkpoint in Bangga Sampinit around 12:30 a.m. last Friday.

Recovered from their possession were three homemade shotguns or “sulpak” with six ammunition, bladed weapon and suspected dried marijuana leaves.

Guisihan said the three escapees are considered dangerous because they were allegedly involved in various violent crimes, such as a massacre Barangay Mansilingan in 2003.

Chicuva was reportedly involved in the a hold-up and killing of a lending firm manager Jocelyn Genovea in Barangay Pahanocoy, Bacolod in January this year, and was also involved in the robbery of St. Ezekiel Moreno Monastery in Purok San Roque in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod last month.

He faces three arrest warrants for attempted murder, three arrest warrants for murder and another for frustrated murder charges.

On the other hand, De la Torre was reportedly involved in a robbery hold-up in the area of responsibility of Police Station 2.

Meanwhile, Guisihan said that he has ordered for a security survey of the detention cells all over the province after he received reports that several of the detention cells are not within the prescribed standards while the police are still to formally remit them to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP). (TE)