Albayalde orders probe on cops who may have allowed a policeman under arrest to escape

The police officers who arrested a fellow policeman who later escaped from police custody will be investigated, Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde said on Monday.

Supt. Johnny Orme, an alleged leader of a kidnap-for-ransom group, escaped the custody of the Cagayan police shortly after authorities arrested him over the weekend.

He reportedly escaped after the arresting officers allowed him to change clothes before heading to the police station.

Albayalde said the policemen could have intentionally allowed Orme to escape since he was also a police officer.

READ: Dismissed cop arrested for kidnapping, escapes in Cagayan

“‘Yun ang titingnan natin. Baka mamaya talagang pinatakas ‘yan (We will look into that. He could have been allowed to escape). That needs to be investigated,” he said in a press briefing.

The PNP chief said he will order the concerned regional director to probe on the policemen involved.

“Baka kasi alam mo na, official, senior officer at that, baka mamaya intentional siyang pinakawalan (It’s possible that because he is an official, a senior officer at that, he was intentionally released),” Albayalde said.

Orme is linked to the abduction and killing of Carlos Abad Tan, a Filipino-Chinese junket operator of a casino in Pasay, and his driver on October 2017.

He has been relieved from his post at the Southern Police District since the incident. /ee

READ: SPD chief relieves cop tagged in kidnap-slay of casino operator