Inmate escapes after disposing of garbage

CEBU, Philippines - An inmate in Ronda who was trusted to dispose of trash failed to return to his detention cell last Friday morning.

Fernandez Blanco, 20 years old, facing charges for qualified theft after he allegedly stole the trisikad of his aunt so he reportedly could have bet money as Blanco is said to be hooked on gambling.

SPO1 Jerome Pardo of the Ronda Police, in an interview over dySS Super Radyo, narrated that it was his colleague PO1 Benedicto Rubia who ordered Blanco to clean up his prison cell after the policeman noticed bits and pieces of trash scattered in there.

The jailer then allowed Blanco to get out of the cell at past 11 a.m. the other day to have the trash thrown at a receptacle outside of the police station. However, Blanco was nowhere to be found after that.

Rubia immediately called for assistance to locate the inmate. Chief Insp. Januario Sario, head of the Ronda Police, led the team in its pursuit operation supposedly to put Blanco back in jail but they failed.

When asked why he didn’t immediately learn of the escape, SPO1 Pardo explained that though he was on duty at that time, he was outside of the station to take his lunch.

Aside from PO1 Rubia, the other police officers who were on duty were SPO1 George Yap and PO3 Ranulfo Gabatan. All of them admitted to trusting Blanco. They pointed out that the escapee has availed of probation and is even set to be temporarily out of prison by February after he voluntarily turned himself over to the authorities earlier.

The police officers said that Blanco must have missed so much his girlfriend and their child who are now living in Consolacion town. Seeing the chance to flee, he did take the opportunity to be reunited with the two even for a while, the cops believe. Rarely did his girlfriend visit him in Ronda, this was further learned.

As for an impending investigation on the incident, the police officers said they have now braced themselves for such. — Gabriel C. Bonjoc/MEEV   (FREEMAN NEWS)