6 of 25 jail escapees killed

LEGAZPI CITY — A team from the Masbate provincial jail killed six, including the leaders of the 25 prisoners who escaped the Matiporon Provincial jail last May 27 in Milagros town, Masbate after shooting to death a lone guard.

Police said a group of provincial guards headed by provincial warden Charlie Quidato clashed with the armed escapees in Barangay Bacolod, Milagros town at about 3 p.m. last Thursday.

Killed were jailbreak leaders Edgar Victoria Jr., 23, and Atanacion Laurio, 25, who are facing murder charges and four others who were just identified by their surnames as Basas, Sisap, Barruga and Quintoy.

Victoria was the one who stabbed prison guard Rodolfo Gonzales at about 9 p.m. and then used his service shotgun to finish him off while Laurio took the keys to the cells.

Recovered were a home-made shotgun known locally as pugakan, a cal. 38 revolver as well as two knives and a bolo at the encounter site in Sitio Baklay.

Another escapee, Vivencio Sungcap was apprehended in Barangay Bonbon, Milagros town last May 29.

The bodies of the slain escapees were brought to the provincial jail in Barangay Matiporon, Milagros. — Celso Amo