Davao police tighten security after North Cotabato jailbreak

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Philippine News Agency) -- The Davao City Police Office was put on heightened alert after the jailbreak by over a hundred inmates of the North Cotabato provincial jail early morning Wednesday. This means there will be more random checkpoints in the city.

This was announced in Wednesday’s AFP-PNP Press Corps forum by Senior Inspector Catherine dela Rey, who said that inspections at checkpoints will be stricter to avert.

Armed men believed to be members of the Bangsamoro Independent Freedom Fighters stormed the North Cotabato Provincial Jail to free their comrades early Wednesday morning. Other inmates also took the opportunity to escape.

Dela Rey also asked residents to be on alert and report suspicious persons to the authorities.

Senior Superintendent Michael John Dubria, DCPO chief, also said they have raised their guard in all exit and entry points of the city to prevent escapees from crossing the city boundary.

He ordered all units to be alert and to reinforce potential targets. Davao City is just three hours away from the North Cotabato provincial jail.

“We have strengthened our defenses so that they will be prevented to enter the city. At the same time, the Police Regional Office 11 has directed the Davao del Sur Provincial Police Office to conduct round-the-clock checkpoints along the boundaries of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato area,” Dubria said.

He said that they are in close coordination with the management of the jail to gather the identities of the escapees.

Meanwhile, Task Force Davao Commander Col. Erwin Bernard Neri said his unit has not let its guard down even after the holiday season.

“We did not downgrade the alert level of the city after the holiday season, we still continue all the security measures that we had implemented because of the high threat of terrorism in Mindanao,” he said.

The country was placed under a state of emergency after the Sept. 2, 2016 bombing of a night market in Davao City.