13 of 16 Biñan jailbreakers hunted

Police were hunting 13 of 16 inmates who bolted the municipal detention center in Biñan, Laguna yesterday by overpowering a jail guard.

The Calabarzon police and the local Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) put up checkpoints in all exit and entry points of Laguna to intercept the escapees.

“We have created tracker teams to join the BJMP in hunting down the jail escapees,” said Chief Superintendent Ricardo Padilla, Calabarzon police director.

Padilla also directed police units in Cavite, Quezon and Rizal to be on alert for the rest of the jailbreakers.

As of press time, police said two of the escapees, Romano Mane and Erickwon Javier, who are facing theft and illegal drug charges, respectively, gave themselves up to the heads of Barangays Mamplasan and Malabanan, both in Biñan.

A third escapee, Ralph Ochoa, a car theft suspect, was arrested in his house in San Pedro, Laguna.

Padilla recounted that Jemar Babia, one of the 27 crime suspects detained at the Biñan municipal jail, vomited blood and collapsed at around 2:55 a.m. yesterday, prompting jail guards JO1 Novel Chiday and JO1 Nestor Sabado to bring him to the nearest hospital with the help of another inmate, Wilson Esteban.

Returning to the jail some 30 minutes later, Sabado ordered Esteban to open the gate. But as Esteban did so, his fellow inmates pushed the steel door, hitting Sabado.

As Sabado fell on the floor, Padilla said Esteban grabbed his service firearm.

At this juncture, the other inmates took advantage of the situation and rushed out of the jail.

Noticing the commotion, a team of policemen headed by SPO4 Wilfredo Reyes rushed to the jail compound and prevented at least 10 inmates from escaping.

Aside from Esteban, the other inmates still at large were identified as Angelito Estrella, Edwin de Vega, Reymundo Saide, Andrew Placios, Lunar Emeterio, Adolf Tanael, Aries Bon, Marlon Pascual, Jhonil Otbo, John Lizardo, Edwin Osis, and Rudy Pagkalinawan.

Padilla commended Reyes’ group for promptly responding to the jailbreak and preventing more inmates from escaping. – With Arnell Ozaeta and Cecille Suerte Felipe