CIDG to launch manhunt for Archival slay suspects

The Criminal Investigation and Detective Group (CIDG) 7 has created a tracker team to locate  the three former members of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG)  7 who are acccused of killing lawyer Noel Archival and his two companions over a year ago.

Supt. Fermin Armendarez III, deputy chief of CIDG 7, said a dedicated team is needed to run after  former HPG 7 chief Romualdo Iglesia and his former staffers Joselito Lerion and Alex Bacani.

Iglesia had the rank of senior superintendent, Lerion was a  senior inspector while Bacani had the rank of police officer 1 before they were dropped from the PNP roll as they have stopped reporting for work.

READ: Cebu judge asks PNP: Did you let suspects run away from Camp Crame?

Executive Judge Soliver Peras of the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City has issued an alias warrant against the suspects.

They were earlier transferred to Camp Crame and placed under camp restriction  on April 16, 2014 after charges were filed against them.

The status was lifted after three months.

By the time a warrant was issued against the three in December 2014, they could no longer be located.

An alias warrant is issued by a trial court when the original warrant is returned in 10 days without being served. The original warrant for the arrest of the three accused was issued last December 2014 by Judge Maximo Perez of the RTC in Argao.

Armendarez admitted that they have no information of the whereabouts of the three accused.

Armendarez added other regional offices of CIDG were also ordered to launch a nationwide manhunt operation against the three suspects.

Armendarez urged his former colleagues to surrender so the trial of their case can start.

In December last year, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) 7 also launched a nationwide manhunt against Iglesia, Lerion and Bacani after they learned that they were no longer under the custody of the Personnel Holding Administrative Section of the Highway Patrol Unit in Camp Crame.

Iglesia, Lerion and Bacani were relieved from their assignments and ordered to report to the PHAS in Camp Crame as part of the ongoing investigation of the case.