10 cops face charges filed by ex-chief over jailbreak

The former commander of the Fairview police station has filed negligence raps against his ex-subordinates for the jailbreak of nine detainees from their police station last month.

Supt. Edgardo Pamittan, who has been relieved from his post, lodged a complaint for “evasion through negligence” under Article 224 of the Revised Penal Code before the Quezon City prosecutors’ office.

Facing raps are 10 policemen assigned to the Fairview police station who were on duty at the time of the jailbreak in the wee hours of Sept. 14.

They are: SPO2s Reymundo Paligutan and Crisanto Jeroza; SPO1s Jonathan Caranza and Dante Surban; PO3 Manuel Ereno, and PO2s Joselito Imperial, Alfredo Pastor Jr., Eliseo Santos, Jaime Samson and Romeo Guererro.

Pamittan was sacked shortly after the jailbreak.

Investigation showed a hacksaw was smuggled into the detention cell a day before the incident by a detainee’s girlfriend.

In the complaint, Paligutan was identified as the desk officer on duty when the escape happened.

Police have rearrested six of the escapees and are now detained again at the Fairview police station.

“Had they not been remiss and negligent of their respective duties, subject prisoners would not have been able to escape,” Chief Insp. Rodelio Marcelo, head of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit, said in the referral letter.

“Had the jailers not been remiss and negligent of their duties and conducted strict inspection on the baggage and belongings of the detainee’s visitors, the hacksaw could not have been brought inside the detention cell and the breakout could have been avoided,” he said.