Drug case inmate bolts jail, caught after 5 hours

CEBU, Philippines – A 26-year-old inmate, who has been facing drug peddling case, escaped from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology District Jail in Barangay Ungka of Jaro district in Iloilo City, early morning of Sunday.

The detained drug suspect was identified as Dexter Lee, a resident of Barangay San Juan in Molo district, this city, who was earlier designated, along with some inmates, as “cleaner” of the jail.

A footage of the jail’s closed circuit television showed that Lee, at around 4:50 a.m., scaled the jail’s tower and jumped out of the fence. This prompted jail personnel to alert police stations near the jail.

By 9:30 a.m., or about five hours later, members of the Molo Police Station and the BJMP cornered Lee at his own house and was taken back to the jail.

Despite the recapture of Lee, a BJMP official said investigation will be conducted to ascertain lapses, if there were any, among jail personnel on duty at the time.

Lee has been detained after he was arrested in a buy bust operation last January 13, and is presently facing charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.