The recapture of a jail escapee and the recovery of two M-16 assault rifles he had stolen from a police station, failed to stop the relief of a police chief and three of his men, assigned in Don Salvador Benedicto town.

Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, yesterday said the relief of Police Inspector Celjun Nemenio as Don Salvador Benedicto police chief, and three of his men, on January 10 was ordered by the Police Regional Office 6.

Lirazan said their relief was done while investigation of the jail break is going on, to determine if there had been laxity on their part.

Suspected cattle rustler Rodel Marcon bolted from the Don Salvador Benedicto police jail on Jan. 7, taking with him the two M-16 assault rifles and bandoliers of ammunition issued to two policemen assigned at the town police station.

Marcon, however, was recaptured three days after in Murcia, by a team of Don Salvador Benedicto policemen headed by Nemenio, and the two high-powered firearms he hid in Brgy. Igmayaan, Don Salvador Benedicto, were also recovered, Lirazan said.

Nemenio was temporarily replaced as Don Salvador Benedicto police chief by Senior Inspector John Joel Batus-batusan, who used to be deputy police chief of San Carlos City.

Lirazan said Nemenio, who was relieved under the principle of command responsibility, and the three others, are now temporarily assigned at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City.

Presiding over the command conference of his staff and police chiefs, Lirazan yesterday re-echoed the order of Chief Supt. Josephus Angan, regional police director of Western Visayas, to further intensify their crime prevention campaign on wanted persons, and drug personalities, among others.*GPB

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