9 Cotabato City inmates bolt jail

COTABATO CITY — Nine inmates, some of them facing drug trafficking charges, bolted their detention cell at the city police headquarters at dawn yesterday by sawing off the toilet’s iron grills. One of them was later recaptured.

Police said some of the escapees were supposed to be transferred to the city jail following the filing of formal charges against them.

The jailbreakers were identified as Jojo Kamaong, Ismael Yusoph, Jordan Bayao, Reynan Aragona, Roger Padilla, Pakutin Lugialam, Abdulsatar Kaladtuan, Saga Balimbingan and Rustom Datumanong.

Only one inmate, Datumanong, was recaptured while waiting for a jeepney ride a block away from the police precinct.

City Mayor Muslimin Sema has asked barangay officials to help the police locate the other escapees.

"I will also have the incident investigated so we can determine (who are liable for it)," he said.

The escapees reportedly used a hacksaw and a chisel in destroying the iron grills.