ILOILO – Police recaptured a rape suspect on Wednesday, July 15, just four hours after he escaped from custody during a mandatory medical examination at a local health clinic.
The suspect, identified only by his alias “Ronillo,” 26, of Barangay Balud, Guimbal, Iloilo, is facing rape charges and was under the custody of the Oton Municipal Police Station(MPS).
According to initial police reports, Ronillo and another detainee were escorted by Oton police officers to the Oton Rural Health Unit (RHU) in Barangay Poblacion West at around 9:30 a.m. The visit was for a mandatory medical examination required before their commitment to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
At around 10:41 a.m., Ronillo requested permission to use the clinic’s restroom. After several minutes, the escorting officers checked the facility and discovered that the suspect had already escaped through the restroom window.
The Oton MPS immediately launched a coordinated hot pursuit operation. Local barangay officials, barangay tanods, traffic auxiliaries, and community force multipliers joined the police in scouring the area.
At about 2:40 p.m., Ronillo was recaptured in the town’s Barangay Poblacion East, Oton, Iloilo. He was immediately returned to the Oton police lockup facility.
Meanwhile, Police Brigadier General Randulf T. Tuaño, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), ordered the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) to conduct an immediate probe to identify any security lapses committed by the escorting officers.
“I have directed the Iloilo Police Provincial Office to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and determine accountability for any established lapses. We will continue to strengthen our custody and escort procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future,” Tuaño said.
PRO-6 assured the public that appropriate administrative and operational measures will be enforced against negligent personnel based on the final findings of the investigation./PN
