Mandaluyong jail escapee surrenders

One of three inmates who escaped from a Mandaluyong City detention center surrendered yesterday, claiming family problems drove him to seek his liberty.

Arnel Macasaet, 25, said he joined Gerald Francis Bonifacio and Renato Barroa in bolting the police jail to work out problems with his wife.

Macasaet said he and his wife had a misunderstanding when the latter visited him at the detention cell, where he had been jailed for possession of illegal drugs last Sunday night.

When he arrived at their residence at 248 Sto. Rosario street in Mandaluyong, Macasaet was convinced by his mother to surrender to Tito Enriquez, head of the City’s Mayor’ Action Command (MAC).

Macasaet was presented to Mayor Neptali Gonzales after his surrender yesterday morning.

Gonzales vowed to extend help to Macasaet through the city Anti-Drug Abuse Council.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Ericson Velasquez, Mandaluyong City police chief said they are still determining the sanctions to be imposed on police officers assigned to guard the jail at the time of the escape.

"If we can establish during the course of investigation that there had been lapses on their part and they did not perform what is mandated under the law, they will be charged accordingly," Velasquez said.

Those assigned and the jail during the incident were SPO3 Bayani Prianes, PO1 Narido Lobrido, PO2 Edmund Kabilla, and PO2 Jose Lazaro.

Velasquez said the four police officers were busy documenting cases when the trio escaped.

The detention cell is located at the back of the station’s Criminal Investigation Unit (CIU) office. The three made good their escape while 19 other detainees were sound asleep.

The incident was discovered at 7:15 a.m. last Monday during the morning shift turnover of prisoners.