By Anthony Giron
CAMP GEN. PANTALEON GARCIA, IMUS, Cavite – At least five of 23 detainees who escaped before dawn Sunday from the General Mariano Alvarez (GMA) municipal police jail remained at-large, the Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) reported on Monday, April 6.
The jailbreak occurred at 4 a.m. Sunday, and that police teams reportedly recaptured 13 escapees at once, and five others later in the day.
Twenty of the 23 detainees in the jailbreak have pending drug cases, while two have robbery cases, and one had an illegal gambling case.
GMA police reported that the detainees bolted the detention cell through a hole on the wall that they made. Recovered at the site were an electric fan rotor part and a 2x3, 26 inch-long wood that was believed used in boring through the wall.
Cavite PPO has ordered an immediate investigation on the jailbreak.
The duty custodial officer Patrolman Ahman Mukaram Ambil was reportedly disarmed by his superior, and was placed on restricted custody.
Ambil was held for questioning in connection with the incident.
Initial police report showed that Ambil called out to other jail personnel to go to the wall outside after seeing the detainees going out of cell through the hole on the wall.
Ambil reportedly discovered the escape when he returned to the main lock-up door for the routine detainee count from perimeter inspection outside the jail area.
Ambil and the jail personnel were able to nab some fleeing detainees.
The PPO identified those who were still at-large as of 6 p.m. Sunday as Jonathan Layog Francisco, alias “Atan,” 32, a resident of Bulihan, Barangay Narra III, Silang, Cavite; Orlando Bernal Calingo, alias “Orlan,” of Barangay Pulido, GMA; Adrian Bautista Cabueña, alias “Jai,” of Maderan, GMA; Jerlon De la Cruz Salit, alias “Lonlon,” and Arjay Felisilda Montebon, 26, both of Pulido, GMA,
Two tracking teams composed of officers from the GMA police, 401st Maneuver Company Police Regional Office (PRO) IV-A Mobile Force Battalion and Cavite PPO Mobile Patrol Unit are now hunting them down.
The same team recaptured in the pursuit operation the first 13 escapees then the five others in nearby Sitio Burol, Barangay Paliparan, Dasmariñas City, on Sunday afternoon.
The last one was nabbed by the team at Pasong Saging, Barangay De las Alas, GMA, at 6 p.m. Sunday.
The PPO has yet to render the latest update and progress reports as of 1 p.m. Monday.