Four down, one to go: Another Caloocan jail inmate recaptured

Chief Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil, Northern Police District (NPD) director, announced yesterday the arrest of another inmate, the fourth of five, who bolted the District Police Intelligence Unit (DPIU) holding cell in Caloocan City last Sept. 11.

Bataoil identified the suspect as Salvador Eugenio, who is facing robbery with physical injury charges. Eugenio’s arrest leaves one more of the five-man band, Agustin Genesis, wanted for illegal possession of a deadly weapon and alarm and scandal.

The NPD chief said Eugenio was arrested by operatives of the NPD-DPIU led by SPO4 Rodrigo Torio in Cagaao, Calabanga, Camarines Sur at 6 a.m. yesterday.

Bataoil said an informant called his office regarding Eugenio’s whereabouts in Bicol, prompting him to send a team under Superintendent Reynaldo Orate, current DPIU chief.

He said Eugenio did not resist when arrested. His mother, Carmelita, sought protection and assurance for his safety among the media and the police.

Bataoil commended his men for Eugenio’s recapture.

It will be recalled that the five escapees bolted out of their cell by kicking hard on the weakly welded iron bars and spread margarine along the sides of the gap created and also on their bodies.

The escape prompted Bataoil to sack the former DPIU chief.

On Sept. 12, Romeo Villaruz, 28, of San Rafael, Navotas, yielded to Navotas police after his mother, Lucresia, called up "for fear of his son’s life."

A team led by Chief Inspector Ferdinand del Rosario of the Navotas police fetched Villaruz at his aunt’s home in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan.

On Sept. 19, operatives of the Quezon City Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (QC- CIDG), led by Superintendent Joseph Orbeta, rearrested Marvin Rubio, 25 and Faustino Sampang, 29, both of Caloocan City.

The two were arrested in Barangay Tamaro in Bayambang, Pangasinan.