All the 27 police officers of Mambusao town in Capiz were dismissed from their post for their failure to act on the case of slain Vice Mayor Abel Martinez.

Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol Jr., regional director Police Regional Office 6 said that Mambusao PNP headed by Inspector Leomindo Vipinosa failed to conduct the necessary actions for the arrest of the vice mayor's assassin.

Querol also confirmed that the town police are in alliance with the local politicians and this hampers their gathering of accurate information for the case.

In an interview, Querol said that he was not satisfied with the way the Mambusao police handled the Martinez slay case.

"They were not cooperating," said Querol in a radio interview.

He said that to earn the trust of the people, the entire 27 police officers were replaced by more capable men, headed by Senior Inspector Rowell Buccat from the Public Safety Management Office of the Capiz Provincial Police Office.

The dismissed officials will be reassigned to other provinces in the region.

Aside from the 27, two policemen, PO1 Andy Alayon and PO2 Edwin Luces were earlier sacked for their alleged connection with the suspected mastermind.

To note, nine suspects in the Martinez's slay were charged with murder at the Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 4.

The suspects were identified by a certain Jun-Jun, a family caretaker.

Two of them were identified as Geger Francisco, the gun man and Sunday Danid, the driver of the get-away motorcycle.

Police operatives believe they are still in Western Visayas.

Meanwhile, still under manhunt operation is the foreman of Kirskat Ventures identified as Cornelio Bautista who was tagged as the assassin's keeper before the incident.

Bautista was pointed by two other witnesses, Renato Lago and Jerzon Magallanes, both workers of the said construction firm owned by Engr. Leodigario Labao Jr.

Labao is also the contractor of the rehabilitation and repair of Mambusao Public Plaza which was opposed by the slain vice mayor.

Martinez, 79, a doctor and second termer vice mayor was shot to death outside his residence on Rizal Street, Brgy. Poblacion early this May.*