Inmates in Lapu jail taken hostage

CEBU, Philippines — Two inmates were injured after being held hostage by seven fellow inmates who reportedly escaped from the isolation area of the Lapu-Lapu City Jail-Male Dormitory last Friday afternoon, March 13.

According to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 7 (BJMP-7), the two inmates sustained minor injuries during the hostage-taking incident that occurred around 12:15 P.M.

Reportedly at that time, seven inmates escaped from the confinement at the isolation area and immediately proceeded to the Solid 1 Building of the jail where they held several fellow inmates hostage.

It was learned that the act stemmed from hostage-takers’ disapproval of the newly-designated PDL (persons deprived of liberty) commander in the dormitory, whose identity wasn’t disclosed.

During the incident, jail personnel swiftly activated their security protocols, while the Lapu-Lapu City BJMP also deployed its Regional Special Tactics and Response Team to assist. Additionally, several units from the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office-Station 2 were also ordered to respond and provide assistance if the situation escalated.

Among those deployed were personnel from the Mobile Patrol Unit, City Mobile Force Company, City Intelligence Unit, as well as the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams from Lapu-Lapu City and Mandaue City.

They were positioned on standby outside the jail, waiting for instructions from the Lapu-Lapu City BJMP officers in case back-up was needed.

Five hours later, around 5:17 P.M., the seven hostage takers voluntarily surrendered and exited the facility onboard a bureau transport vehicle.

Currently, they are separately secured in Dorm 1 of the new building for proper custody and investigation.

By 5:29 P.M., the hostages were then accounted for and confirmed safe, while the two wounded were quickly attended to by the jail's medical personnel.

Lapu-Lapu City BJMP Male Dormitory warden Jail Superintendent Richard Tulabing clarified that only the seven inmates who took the hostages disagreed with the new PDL commander.

However, he didn’t disclose the possible reason for this, saying that an investigation into the incident is ongoing.

The Regional Office of the BJMP-7 assured the public that the situation has been successfully resolved and that security measures remain in place to maintain order and safety within the facility.