PO2 Ryan Casiban left the Cordova Police Station past 2:50 a.m. last Wednesday, although he wasn’t supposed to be off duty until 8 a.m. that day.
Casiban, 37, has not been seen since. His upper uniform, his shoes and socks, his belt, the station’s patrol motorcycle and his M16 rifle were found in a bushy area in Sitio Naga, Barangay Babag II, Lapu-Lapu City.
Senior Insp. Jomar Medil, Cordova Police Station chief, said personnel of the Lapu-Lapu Police Station 3 called their office informing them about the discovery around 7:30 a.m. last Wednesday.
Medil said his men who were on-duty with Casiban wondered why he didn’t return.
Blotter entries
PO2 Ismael Limpangog said they noticed two reports on the blotter a few minutes before Casiban left.
There was no complainant, but these were signed by Casiban, and these involved the names of former general and now Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot and retired general Marcelo Garbo.
“I want to write what is justice for all to stop all illegal drugs. God is in me,” Casiban wrote.
Casiban was the desk officer assigned from 8 p.m. last Tuesday to 8 a.m. the following day.
Limpangog said he did not notice anything unusual with Casiban’s actions that night.
According to the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage, Casiban passed the crossing from the police station at 2:56 a.m. The CCTV camera also captured him passing Pilipog at 2:58 a.m.
He also brought the station’s cellphone, which is their hotline number, and his issued service firearm, a 9mm pistol. These were not recovered.
Medil tried to contact the hotline number yesterday, but this could not be reached.
Medil said Senior Insp. Zosimo Jabas Jr., former chief of police of Cordova, told him that Casiban called him around 3:30 a.m. and asked for help because someone was threatening his life.
“Jabas mentioned that Casiban told him he was being threatened by Atan Tajanlangit’s men,” Medil said in Cebuano.
Medil said they interviewed Tajanlangit, a police officer assigned in the Cebu Provincial Police Office, but the latter didn’t know why Casiban would mention his name.
“The two men are friends. In fact, Casiban was fond of asking Tajanlangit for fighting cocks,” Medil said in Cebuano.
Jabas also mentioned that Casiban would like to surrender to President Rodrigo Duterte.
In an interview, Casiban’s wife Chona, 36, said her husband does not have enemies.
No links to drugs
Last Tuesday, Casiban told her he was going to the doctor to have his eye checked. That was the last time Chona saw him.
“Naa sya’y lingaw mahjong. Drugas wa ko kabalo ana. Iyang sulti manakop ra sya. Wa jud sya ingon ana, di mogamit (He plays mahjong during his free time. He told me he arrests drug suspects but him do drugs, he’s not into that,” Chona said in Cebuano.
Chona and Casiban have four children, three boys and a girl.
PO3 Alex Noron, Casiban’s closed friend in the station, said the missing police officer is a quiet person. He just smiles when other officers crack jokes.
Noron said Casiban did not mention any problem to him.
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office 7 Director Chief Supt. Noli Taliño ordered all units to locate Casiban.
Once he’s found, Casiban will undergo medical and neurological tests, Taliño said.
He said Casiban was never linked to illegal drug use.
Taliño also ordered a background check on Casiban and to investigate the latter.
“I was told the officer was caught talking to himself in the past,” he said in Tagalog.