Detainee escapes

CEBU, Philippines - A man who was being detained at the Lapu-Lapu City detention cell for robbery and attempted homicide escaped yesterday, 25 hours after he was arrested and locked in with two other men.

Joshua Sayson escaped at 7:30 Sunday evening by cutting an iron railing about a foot from the ground, bent it, and then wiggled out of the cell.

The two other detainees noticed the bent iron bar only after Sayson had already gone out of the cell.

At the time when Sayson escaped, PO2 Jude Thaddeus Abella was in the comfort room, while PO2 Dario Arias had informed Abella that he couldn’t report for work for a personal reasons.

But Acting City Police Director Mariano Natuel said the reasons given by of the policemen are unacceptable.

The rolling G.I sheet main door to the detention cell was left open allowing Sayson easy escape.

He ran quickly to the back of the detention building, scaled the four-foot tall concrete wall and jumped to the other side when the two other detainees made noise to alert Sayson.

“As a consequence both of you are hereby placed on restrictive custody effective upon receipt,” a memorandum issued by Natuel for the two jailguards read.

He gave the two men 24 hours to recapture the fugitive, who is a resident of barangay Lorega, Cebu City. Sayson allegedly committed the crimes he is charged with in Lapu-Lapu City.

Natuel said the two would be charged with negligence in violation of Article 244 of the Revised Penal Code and grave misconduct under Napolcom memorandum circular 2007, corresponding punishment will depend on the gravity of their offense that will be later be established.

He said Arias should have filed a leave of absence and had it signed by his immediate superior and not send a text message on the very day he is to miss work.

Sayson was arrested at 5:30 p.m. last Saturday on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by RTC Judge Gilberto Muses.