Photo taken from qcpdpnp.com
MANILA, Philippines—A policeman has been relieved following the escape of three suspects from a police detention cell in Quezon City early Monday.
Senior Police Officer 1 Chester Ticobay is now facing an administrative case for serious neglect of duty and a criminal complaint for evasion through negligence for the escape of three detainees from the Kamuning police station.
Aside from Ticobay, who was the desk officer at the time, the Quezon City Police District will also investigate the other policemen on duty at that time.
“Ticobay is under the restrictive custody of station commander Superintendent Marcelino Pedrozo Jr., but the investigation will be done here at headquarters,” said district director Chief Supt. Mario de la Vega.
Police have launched a hunt for the three escaped detainees, identified as Roel Dantes, Jestoni Tributo and Jedi San Luis.
Pedrozo, citing his subordinate’s account, said Ticobay was shoved aside by the three inmates as he was ushering a new detainee into the cell.
Records showed that Dantes and Tributo were detained for robbery and San Luis for illegal possession of drugs.
The jailbreak happened at 4 a.m. on Monday inside the Kamuning police station on Edsa.
Ticobay claimed that he was letting a new suspect into the cell when the three other suspects pushed him and forced their way out.
The policeman supposedly attempted to chase the detainees, who ran across Edsa and disappeared. Ticobay went back to the cell to prevent other detainees from escaping.
But De la Vega said there was apparent negligence when the policeman did not lock the first of two doors leading to the detention cell, which could have foiled the escape.
Meanwhile, Pedrozo said they have contacted Dantes’ mother, who promised to surrender her son should he come home.
Police said San Luis reportedly called a girlfriend but the phone number he used was already out of range when policemen tried to contact him.