Jailbreak: 22 inmates bolt Sta. Rosa City jail

STA. ROSA CITY, Laguna —Twenty-three inmates escaped from the the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) jail here early yesterday morning after destroying their cell door’s padlock.

Three of the escapees were recaptured, while the rest remained at large, prompting jail authorities to send a flash alarm to neighboring Laguna towns for their early capture.

According to city police chief Superintendent Eduardo Sanque, the jailbreak occurred at 2:30 a.m.

Sanque said the leader of the jailbreak, Eduardo Valendrez, destroyed the padlock of the jail door, after which the inmates proceeded to the back of the prison’s kitchen where they bore a hole on the wall through which they exited.

He believes that most of the escapees were still within the city and he ordered his men to set up roadblocks and checkpoints at all exit points in Sta. Rosa.

Joint elements of the Sta. Rosa police and a BJMP task force mounted a massive manhunt for the escapees. Most of the escapees were facing charges of violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2000.

Still at large as of yesterday were Florante Arceo, Aldfrin Arellano, Antonino Austria, Jeff Cendana, Ruel Arcellana, Raymundo Salde, Eduardo Samonte, Benito Sarmiento, Eduardo Villanorez; Erwin Alegre, Romeo Alitagtag, Jeffrey Corros, Benedicto de Guyos, Elmer Dictado, Anthony Ismao, Edgardo Javier, Celino Protacio, Ranel Romero, Michael Villa, and Francisco Villanorez.

Recaptured were Elmer Merlin and Honorio Ilagan and Eduardo Vilandres. Merlin was recaptured at his house in Malvar, in the town of Cabuyao, while Ilagan was apprehended in Barangay Aplaya in Sta. Rosa - both were in jail for drug offenses.

BJMP chief Director Arturo Alit immediately ordered BJMP director for Southern Tagalog Jose Esmeralda to relieve Sta. Rosa jail warden Senior Inspector Bernie Ruiz and on-duty jail guards Jail Officer 2 Renato Tulaylay, JO1 Luis Banoey, and Senior Jail Officer 1 Jerry Provido.

Provido, Tulaylay and Banoey were watching television in their quarters and were unaware of the jailbreak until residents of nearby homes reported that several unidentified men — all of them bald — were seen scaling the prison fence.

Ruiz was immediately replaced by Senior Inspector Bermar Adlaon.

The jailbreak occurred at a time when an P8-million three-story building is being constructed at the site to house the city jail as well as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Philippine National Police city station.

Sta. Rosa became Laguna’s third component city following a plebiscite on July 10.

During ocular inspection, Alit and Esmeralda were convinced there was "laxity" on the part of the jail guards.

While the local police were conducting investigation on the incident, the BJMP national headquarters and the regional office would also conduct their own parallel investigations to avoid a whitewash of the case, Alit said. Administrative and criminal cases are being prepared against Ruiz and the duty jail guards for their alleged infidelity in handling prisoners, Alit said.

An investigation into the jailbreak is now underway as ordered by regional police director Chief Superintendent Reynaldo Varilla. — with Christina Mendez