(Eagle News)–Authorities re-arrested on Tuesday, Sept. 19, a dismissed policeman convicted of the killing of an Armed Forces of the Philippines officer in the 1990s.
The re-arrest of Joel Consuelo Villanueva by virtue of a warrant issued by Branch 56 of the Lucena Regional Trial Court came years after he escaped from the Orthopedic Hospital after conviction while undergoing a medical checkup, the PNP said.
Prior to this, in 1995, he also managed to escape from the Lucena City Jail, but was re-arrested the following year.
Villanueva, the Philippine National Police said, was assigned to the 237th PC Company in Candelaria, Quezon, and had the rank of SPO1 before he was dismissed in 1991 following the crime.
There was a monetary reward of P275,000 offered for any information leading to his capture.
“The arrest…sends a clear message that the PNP is relentless in the pursuit of individuals who have evaded justice for far too long,” PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. said.
“The PNP is dedicated to ensuring justice for the victims and their families, and this apprehension serves as a reminder that no one is above the long arm of the law,” the PNP added.
