Escaped inmate eludes arrest again

CEBU, Philippines - The inmate who escaped his jailguards in Mandaue City has again eluded arrest.

This time, the lack of coordination between the Mandaue City Jail personnel and the police is allegedly the reason Ricky Andujar was not recaptured in his hiding place in barangay Bajac, Liloan town yesterday dawn.

A reliable source requested anonymity but confirmed that Andujar, who escaped from his jail escort after his arraignment last Tuesday, went into hiding in his aunt’s house in Liloan town but was again able to elude arrest.

It was learned that during a manhunt operation conducted yesterday dawn, the escapee was again able to elude arrest after a warning shot was fired by an element from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) at around 1 am yesterday.

 The source said that the jail personnel did not know that even before they arrived in the area where Andujar was hiding, there were already 10 policemen, from the Mandaue City Police Office, who were positioned in the area.

 The source said that the police were just waiting for the right timing so that they could arrest Andujar when allegedly they suddenly heard a warning shot coming from the BJMP personnel.

 Newly-installed OIC warden C/Insp.Gil Inopia, during a press conference yesterday, said that a member of their recovery team fired a warning shot after the suspect was able to jump out the window of his aunt’s house.

 Inopia said that although the recovery team knew that the suspect was there after receiving information of  his presence in the area, his men were not 100 % sure if he was really the suspect that they were looking for. He said this is the reason why they were in doubt to effect the arrest on Andujar.

 They only confirmed that it was indeed Andujar when the latter jumped out of the window.

 But the source said that the policemen were 100% sure that Andujar was in the area because they were being guided by Andujar’s neighbor in barangay Binaliw, Cebu City.

“Sakto man ang effort nga gibuhat sa BJMP kay ila man nang concern ang pagdakop sa suspect kay naa naman nas ilang kustodiya, mabutang nga igo lang nitabang ang polis nila apan kuwang lang dyud ug koordinasyon ang hitabo, mihamag sila sa lugar unya wa sila mahibawo nga tua nay naka-plastar daan mga polis ug naghuwat na lang nga makabintang kay idlas kaayu ang suspect. (The BJMP was right in their efforts because the suspect’s arrest is their concern since he was under their custody. The police are just assisting but it lacked coordination because they just went to the place without knowing that the police were already in place and were just waiting for the right timing.)”

The source added that at that time, it was still dark but the police were already able to confirm Andujar’s identity.

“Gawas pa sad ngitngit kaayo ang lugar, apan 100 % sure ta nga siya gyud to kay nakaila kayo ang  guide sa polis niya, (It was still very dark but we were 100% sure that it was indeed Andujar because the guide knew him well.)” the source said.

Meanwhile, following  Andujar’s escape from the hands of his jail escorts last Tuesday, the jail warden of the Mandaue City Jail Supt. Jessie Calumpang, was relieved from his post due to command responsibility and was replaced by Maj. Insp Gil Inopia, the jail warden of Toledo city.

JO2 Rolando Salazar, the jailguard who was tasked to escort Andujar during his arraignment at the Hall of Justice in Mandaue last Tuesday, was also relieved from his post pending investigation of an administrative case that is to be filed against him.

 Calumpang will be assigned to the BJMP-7 regional office while Salazar is now assigned at the Consolacion Municipal Jail .

 Earlier, personnel at the Mandaue City Jail refused to divulge the names of the jail guards involved in Andujar’s escape saying there is a directive coming from the BJMP national headquarters in Manila not to mention their names while they are under investigation.

But Inopia yesterday clarified that there was no directive prohibiting them from divulging the names of  jail escorts who are involved in the  escape of an inmate or if ever they committed infractions in the line of their duty.— (FREEMAN)