Wounded Ecija inmate escapes from hospital

SAN JOSE CITY, Nueva Ecija, Philippines  – A detainee who was locked up inside the detention cell of the local police station escaped from a hospital here Saturday night, where he was rushed following a scuffle with fellow inmates.

Superintendent Sidney Villaflor, San Jose City police chief, identified the escaped inmate as Nestor Paulo, of Barangay Bagong Sikat here. Paulo was arrested on Sept. 21 by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by San Jose City Municipal Trial Court Branch 2 Judge Maximo Ancheta for two counts of attempted homicide.    

Villaflor said while inside the detention cell, Paulo fi-gured in a brawl with 11 other inmates where he got beaten up at around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night.

This prompted Senior Inspector Bernardito Barcelo, the deputy chief of police to dispatch a three-man police team which rushed the badly bruised Paulo to the San Jose City General Hospital.

While being treated, Paulo’s police escorts – SPO3 Rommel Bunao, SPO1 Wrinfred Salvador and PO3 Edwin Lustina – waited outside the hospital room.

Police said that while the nurse was attending to Paulo, another bloodied patient was brought into the room, which triggered a commotion because of kibitzers who gathered around the said patient.  

In the ensuing commotion, Paulo escaped, using the backdoor.