AFP dismayed over NPA jail raid

MANILA, Philippines – Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Alexander Yano expressed dismay over the lax security by prison officials in Quezon over the escape of seven senior communist rebels, saying their

breakout in a raid by their comrades had wasted years of effort and resources to put them behind bars.

Yano said he was “very disappointed” over the incident that saw their efforts to capture the ranking leaders of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) go to waste.

“Very disappointing. The military and other agencies of government need a lot of efforts in getting these personalities, particularly the police,” Yano said.

He said prison officials should have exercised utmost diligence in keeping the prisoners in their custody.

“At the time they were already in jail it could have been very incumbent on the agencies concerned particularly the PNP (Philippine National Police) to take care of these high value prisoners,” Yano said.

Yano urged government officials to take decisive steps to punish those responsible for last Saturday’s escape of the seven ranking NPA guerrillas from Quezon provincial jail.

Considering the tedious task of capturing these rebels, Yano said concerned government agencies should ensure that no similar incidents would happen again.

About 30 NPA guerrillas, disguised as anti-narcotics agents and SWAT commandos, talked their way into the poorly guarded Quezon provincial jail by pretending to turn over an inmate.

The rebels then overwhelmed the guards on duty and sprang out seven of their comrades, all facing murder charges.

Some of those freed were senior NPA leaders captured by the military in recent months. The rebels locked up the prison guards in a cell before fleeing in four vans. The attack lasted just 15 minutes and without a shot being fired, police said.

But four people, including two policemen and two bystanders were injured, after the rebels threw a hand grenade at the pursuing lawmen.

The raid happened despite prior warnings to local jail authorities of a possible escape attempt, and the military said the freeing of the rebels made the government’s counterinsurgency campaign in the region “more difficult.”

About half the prison’s 50 guards and the deputy warden were in Manila for a seminar, considerably weakening the jail’s defenses at the time of the attack, according to Quezon provincial police director Senior Superintendent Fidel Posadas.

The warden, his deputy and at least 14 prison guards have already been ordered relieved by Quezon Gov. Rafael Nantes pending the filing of charges for apparent security lapses.

Yano said the military has launched a manhunt to recapture the fugitives.

The escapees were identifies as Gemma Carag, secretary of the Kilusang Larangan Guerilla (KLG) 42, Komite sa Probinsya-Quezon (KOMPROB), Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC); Cecilia Mondia, Grupong Pang-organisa (GP), KLG 42, KOMPROB; Noel Santos, secretary of KLG General Headquarters; Gerson Carabio, platoon leader of Sentro de Grabidad ng KLG 42; Fernando Tawagon, platoon leader of AKL Plager; Arnold Valencia, member of SYP Rivas, Komite sa Platoon (KSPN).

Rogelio Monteverda, the seventh escapee, is facing murder charges.

Authorities have yet to determine Monteverda’s exact position in the local communist hierarchy.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres it was frustrating to note that “despite prior information on the possibility of the attack, not enough effort was undertaken to prevent the incident from happening.”

He said the jail attack is a wake-up call for the police, particularly the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to strengthen efforts to keep prisoners in custody.

“We expect that decisive actions will be undertaken to punish those who are liable and put an end to these recurring incidents,” he said.

In the meantime, the military would do its part to recapture the escapees and recommend measures to correct the flaws in the penal system in the handling high value prisoners.

Police, on the other hand, took custody of three people in trying to evade a roadblock in Pagbilao, Quezon.

Police said two men and a woman onboard a van (BDB-141) were accosted after evading the police checkpoint at Barangay Palsabangong yesterday.

The police have set up checkpoints in several roads and major thoroughfares throughout Quezon in search for the escapees.

Hospitals are being checked after police investigators saw bloodstains inside the four vans separately abandoned by the rebels in Sariaya, Lucena and Pagbilao.

Investigators are also coordinating with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to verify the ownership of the abandoned vehicles. – With Ed Amoroso, AP