Another inmate escapes guard

CEBU, Philippines – After an inmate in Danao City slipped out of his detention cell unnoticed because the jail guard was allegedly engrossed in the television show he was watching, a 24-year-old prisoner in Ronda escaped at nearly 6 a.m. of Saturday.

The escapee was identified as Jureven Tobis alias Jury, who temporarily resided in barangay Kan-abuhan of the said town but is a native of Zamboanga del Sur. Tobis was imprisoned after he was charged for attempted murder and attempted homicide.

PO3 Christopher Bani, the investigating officer, said that initial probe revealed the escapee destroyed a piece of wood, said to be coconut lumber, which was used as an extension of the concrete wall of the detention cell. Tobis then made a hole on the wall as exit and passed at the backdoor of the police station.

PO1 Roman Cañete was posted as jail guard and radio operator at the same time that day. He found out early in the morning that one of the prisoners was missing as he checked the cell.

Bani said that there were only two police personnel at the station at that time because the others “were out responding to an armed person alarm.” Cañete and another cop, referred to as SPO1 Yap but whose first name was not determined, were the ones left at the station. Yap was stationed at the front desk while Cañete stayed at the radio room.

“Gilangkat sa piniriso ang dos-por-dos nga coco lumber,” Bani said.

Chief Insp. Januario Sario, chief of the Ronda Police Station, filed an “evasion from service of sentence” case against the escapee.

However, Senior Supt. Jesus Gaquing, chief the Cebu Provincial Police Office, said that the case will be subject for investigation, and that effective today, Cañete takes on a reassignment in the municipality of Pilar, Camotes Island.

 Gaquing, however, clarified that the reassignment has nothing to do with the escape but that the Pilar Police Station lacks police personnel.

As for PO2 Wilson Garciano of the Danao City Police Station, charges were already filed against him by Insp. Ruben Cuizon, head of the Provincial Intelligence and Detection Management Bureau of the CPPO.

According to Cuizon, they already filed cases against Garciano even if the minor prisoner was recaptured a day after his escape.

Grave misconduct and infidelity in the custody of prisoner for administrative and criminal cases, respectively, are already filed.

Earlier reports had it that a minor prisoner of the Danao City Police Station escaped on the evening of June 24 when the jail guard on duty got “absorbed in the TV program he was watching.” — Gabriel C. Bonjoc/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)