Mabolo cop nabbed for skipping hearings

CEBU, Philippines —  An active policeman, who has not been attending a case he is handling, has been arrested last Friday through a bench warrant.

In the blotter report of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), the cop was identified as Patrolman Michael Llanes Flores, 33, a member of the Mabolo Police Station.

In the report, the court has forcibly asked Flores to attend the court hearings in the criminal case R-CEB-17-06647 against Ernesto Barillano alyas Botyok, whom Flores had arrested.

Regional Trial Court Branch 7 Presiding Judge James Stewart Ramon E. Himalaloan has issued the bench warrant against the policeman.

The FREEMAN tried but failed to get Flores’s comment on his arrest.

Mabolo Police Station Chief Dindo Juanito Alaras said Flores is off duty and did not give his contact number.

Alaras, however, said the issue is deemed closed as Flores had already appeared in the court last Friday.

“Wala siya naka-attend for personal reason, usa pa sab tungod na sad sa kadaghang kaso nga iyang gi-handolan,” Alaras said.

The police had arrested Barillano in 2017 during an illegal drug operation.  The suspect is out on bail.

The FREEMAN also tried to reach the officers of the CCPO but our calls were not answered nor returned. — GAN (FREEMAN)