There were 53 inmates at the detention cell.
Police Inspector Ferjen Torred, chief of the Station Investigation Division, said prison officer SPO3 Renato Averilla learned about the planned escape at around 7 a.m. after the morning inspection. Police officers noticed that at least four steel bars have been cut by the inmates.
Torred identified the four inmates who masterminded the escape try as Alex Napere, Ericson dela Isla, Jhun Hernandez and Alex Nalena de Jesus, who are all murder suspects. Others involved were also facing murder and robbery charges.
Torred said charges of malicious mischief are now being readied against the four inmates who planned the escape.
Superintendent Josephus Angan, Las Piñas police chief, said the City’s Engineering Office has already sent personnel to repair the damaged steel bars and make sure that the detention facility is now much more secure.
Meanwhile, Averilla said that as a result of the incident, they would implement stricter measures, especially in granting visitation privileges to the inmates’ families.
"It is possible that the cutting saw the inmates used, which measures about five inces, could have been hidden inside packed lunches given to inmates by their visitors," he said, explaining that a suspect admitted in the detention cell is fed by the family members, unlike prisoners detained at the city jail who are entitled to food rationing.
Averilla added that they are now cleaning up the cell to get rid of things that might be used for plotting another jailbreak.
Torred said the delay in the issuance of commitment orders by the court has resulted to congestion of detainees in the cell.
The commitment order is an official order from the court concerning the inmates’ transfer to the city jail.