Tondo police station chief under fire

The newly-installed commander of the Lopez, Tondo, police station (Station 1) is now in hot water following the escape of a detainee from his station last Wednesday morning.

According to Western Police District spokesman Senior Inspector Gerry Agunod, newly-installed commander Superintendent Danilo Pelisco was ordered to explain by WPD director Chief Superintendent Avelino Razon Jr. why inmate Mario Hilario managed to escape under his watch.

Hilario, of Ilang-Ilang street, Palmera Springs, Caloocan City, was arrested for alleged estafa last Tuesday. Investigation showed that at about 10 a.m., Hilario asked the duty policemen if he could use the station’s telephone. He was then reportedly allowed out of his cell to make the call.

Without the duty policeman noticing, Hilario managed to walk out of the station and disappear.

An irate Razon immediately ordered the relief of the three duty policemen namely Senior Police Officer 1 Jaime Urutia, Senior Police Officer 4 Arnulfo Tauro and Police Officer 1 Rommel Ticagan.

The three policemen were ordered transferred to the WPD’s Civil Disturbance and Management (CDM) unit while they are under investigation for negligence by the District Inspectorate and Investigation Division (DIID).

Meanwhile, Razon also ordered Pelisco to track down and recapture Hilario within 24 hours.

Insiders said Pelisco might suffer the same fate as Superintendent Nepoleon Pascua, commander of the Pureza police station (Station 8) who was ordered relieved by Razon following the escape of five detainees from the station’s detention cell last month. – Mike Frialde