CEBU, Philippines - A rookie policeman assigned at Borbon Police station is now facing a criminal complaint for infidelity in the custody of prisoner before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office after a suspected drug pusher bolted out from police detention cell.
Borbon Police chief Camilo Gonzaga filed the complaint against Police Officer 1 Bonifacio Gabod, who was the designated jailer of the police station when suspected drug pusher Edison Cabahug escaped from the detention cell in broad daylight on May 12.
Gonzaga said he was informed by his administrative officer at around 10 a.m. on May 12 about a commotion coming from the detention cell that prompted him to immediately order two of his subordinates to check it.
He said he later joined the two police officers and found out that Cabahug had just bolted out from jail by twisting the iron grill. A hot pursuit operation was immediately conducted but they failed to catch the escapee.
Gonzaga blamed the laxity and negligence of Gabod to oversee the detention cell. He said Gabod was not around when the jailbreak happened and his supposed reliever, PO3 Jose Cejano, was also late to report to duty that morning.
The police official said Gabod should be held liable for the incident because he abandoned his post even if his reliever has not yet arrived.
“I strongly condemn PO1 Gabod as liable for abandonment of post and to any tantamount drastic action that would warrant for such misconduct,” Gonzaga said.
Two of the inmates, Jipie Pastila and Jimmy Carbonel, said that Cabahug took an iron bar from one of the makeshift beds in the detention cell and used it to twist the iron railings of the detention facility for his successful escape.
The two inmates said they were warned by Cabahug not to report to the police until he was already out. — Fred P. Languido/WAB (THE FREEMAN)