Cotabato jail warden loses post over escape

COTABATO CITY, Philippines  – The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) yesterday relieved the warden of the Cotabato City jail from his post following Thursday’s escape of 16 inmates.

Only one of the 16 escapees, Darwin Herbeas, has so far been re-arrested.

Senior Superintendent Romeo Ugoy, BJMP-Region 12 director, said he has installed Chief Inspector Fulgenio Branden as the new jail warden, replacing Inspector Buenaventura Pedrita.

“He (Pedrita) would be asked to answer for the incident,” Ugoy said.

He said they will also investigate reports that the inmates planned the jailbreak after Pedrita and his subordinates deprived them of the privilege to perform obligatory Friday prayers at a small open space in the city jail.

“The BJMP has a strong respect for the religious practices of inmates. We allow inmates to perform their prayer rites under the tight watch of guards,” he said.

The inmates sawed off the iron grills in their cell and lowered themselves into a river using blankets.

The city jail is designed for only 150 inmates, but there are almost 300 of them now cramped in small cells.

 – With Cecille Suerte Felipe