11 bolt Mandaluyong jail; 1 recaptured

MANILA, Philippines - Eleven detainees escaped from the Mandaluyong police jail by sawing off the iron grills of the window of the toilet behind the police station’s cell at dawn yesterday.

One of the escapees, Gabby Capistrano, was recaptured by police hours later in his house in Barangay Addition Hills, said city police chief Senior Superintendent Tyrone Masigon.

Capistrano is facing a theft complaint.

Police operatives are hunting down the 10 other escapees. They are Anjo Remanes, who is charged with illegal possession of bladed weapons; Jordan Villadolid, falsification of public documents; Alexander de la Cruz, Jayson Santos, Alber Llaneta, Noel Gonzales and Fernando Nana, all accused of theft; Nelson Yambao, robbery; and Archie Pacheco and Rogelio Reyes, illegal drugs.

Masigon appealed to their relatives to convince the escapees to surrender.

Initial reports said the detainees escaped between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.

The jailbreak was discovered when Police Officer 3 Mateo Naayao Jr. conducted a headcount at 4 a.m.

Masigon formed teams to go after the inmates.

SPO4 Geminer Tingne of the Eastern Police District’s criminal investigation unit said Capistrano pointed to Villadolid as the mastermind of the escape.

Tingne said it was Villadolid’s wife who smuggled into the jail the saw they used in escaping.

Capistrano claimed he had no plans of escaping but he and the other detainees joined Villadolid after he threatened them with harm.

Inspector Danilo Esguerra Jr., the station’s duty officer, said seven women and 52 men are detained at the Mandaluyong police jail.

Esguerra said that when he first conducted a headcount at 12:45 a.m., all the detainees were accounted for.

At his next headcount at around 4 p.m., 11 male inmates were missing.

Jail officers sacked

EPD director Chief Superintendent Abe Villacorta ordered the relief of Inspector Reynigildo Suarez, the detention cell supervisor; Naayao; jail guard PO3 Judwin Quiale and duty sentinels PO1 Jose Zapata and a certain PO3 Pasco following the escape of the inmates.

Suarez was sacked for command responsibility.

Naayao will be slapped with infidelity in custody of prisoners as well as administrative charges, Villacorta said.

Zapata and Quiale are facing serious neglect of duty for not reporting to work at the time of the escape. 

Villacorta conducted an ocular inspection of the detention cell and ordered a thorough probe of the incident.