Sinas: PRO-7 is closely monitoring AWOL and dismissed cops

Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office of Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, holds a press briefing at Camp Sergio Osmena Sr., Osmena Boulevard, Cebu City on Aug. 16, 2019. CDN Digital photo | Alven Marie A. TImtim

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) is closely monitoring the policemen who went absent without leave (AWOL) and who were  dismissed from service due to involvement in illegal drugs and other crimes.

Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas, PRO-7 director, told reporters in a news briefing on Friday, August 16, that they have always been making sure they know the current activities of the police officers who have been dismissed from service.

He said dismissed or AWOL cops are immediately placed on their watchlist as they have the tendency to resort to criminal activities especially when they no longer earn money to provide for their families.

“Kana sila automatically naka butang sa amoa watchlist kay kabalo mi in all instances mo balik gyud na sila (They are automatically listed in our watchlist because we know that in all instances they would really go back to their nefarious ways),” said Sinas.

However, Sinas admitted that there were instances when they could no longer trace the whereabouts of these rogue cops, which was the case of Jobie Libradilla Antipolo, who tried to rob a security guard but was shot dead while escaping in Teresita Village, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City, last Tuesday afternoon, August 13, 2019.

According to Sinas, Antipolo joined the Philippine National Police (PNP) in 2006 but was dropped from the roll in 2011 when he became the subject of numerous complaints involving alleged irregularities.

But Antipolo was reinstated on appeal  2014.  However, Antipolo did not receive any salary until he went AWOL on March 19, 2018. He held the rank of Police Officer 2 (PO2), now police corporal, and was assigned at the Cebu Police Provincial Office when he went AWOL.

Sinas said that since then, they have not heard about Antipolo until last Tuesday upon his death.

Sinas said that with the recent crime involving a former policeman, he would make sure that they would be reviewing again the list of police officers who went AWOL and were dismissed so they could strengthen their monitoring. /elb