2 cops face raps for suspected cop-killer's escape

MANILA, Philippines - Two Taguig City policemen are facing criminal and administrative charges over the escape of a suspect in a robbery attempt last June that led to the death of a police officer.

Senior Superintendent Tomas Apolinario Jr., city police chief, said Police Officers 2 Joseph Ventura and Danilo Vega will be charged with infidelity in the custody of a prisoner. The two are now under restrictive custody in the Taguig police station pending their administrative case, which will be forwarded to the Southern Police District.

Manansala is tagged as one of two suspects in death of PO1 Venerado Pantino, 28, of the National Capital Region Police Public Safety Battalion, last June 15. Pantino was in the Kusina ni Mommy restaurant when the robbers declared the heist and shot him.

Connivance?

Ventura and Vega were detailed as security escorts of suspect Michael Manansala, who escaped from the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila Thursday noon. Manansala was caught when he was wounded in the heist.

Initial investigation showed that before Manansala escaped, his hospital watcher, Juliet Bactong, saw the suspect “inside the comfort room together with his two (escorts).”

“After a few minutes she heard (a car honk five times) outside the building and when she looked at the window she saw a (black) motorcycle waiting at the lobby,” the Taguig police report read.

Manansala then boarded the motorcycle, driven by a man wearing a cap, black jacket, shorts, and eyeglasses.

Nurse Rochelle Vinluan said “the incoming duty police officer arrived and signed his name in the logbook in civilian attire and after that, left the premises of the hospital and (was) never seen again.”

Other policemen tasked to guard other suspects in PGH said “they did not notice any duty or detailed police escort (assigned) to... Manansala.”

Apolinario said it is still premature to conclude that Vega and Ventura had a hand in the suspect’s escape.