Inmate killed, 6 hurt in foiled Negros jailbreak

BACOLOD CITY — An inmate was killed and six others were injured Wednesday night when guards of the San Carlos City jail, 144 kilometers north of this city, foiled what they believed was a jailbreak attempt.

Senior Superintendent Ricardo de la Paz, San Carlos police chief, identified the fatality as Antonio Rebalde, who was serving a life sentence for double murder, and those injured as inmates Pelegio Oximar and Johnny Serad, charged with murder and robbery with frustrated homicide, respectively, jail trustee Victorino Iridiano, jail guards SJO3 Charlie Gelotin and JO2 Raunilo Cobol, and Inspector Alexander Sy, the deputy jail warden.

De la Paz said Rebalde, Oximar and Serad ganged up on Gelotin and Cobol, who had responded to a commotion in one of the detention cells of the city jail, located in the 3,000-hectare police compound, in what was believed to be an attempt to cover up a planned jailbreak.

Sy tried to rescue Gelotin and Cobol but was stabbed in the back by the inmates. Although injured, Sy managed to defend himself and shot Rebalde, Oximar and Serad, police said.

Iridiano, who also came to the rescue of the three injured jail personnel, sustained injuries on the head after the inmates hit him with hard objects.

Recovered at the scene were a fan knife, an ice pick, three improvised knives made from bamboo and toothbrush, and four empty 9-mm shells.

De la Paz said the regional office of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology is sending additional jail guards to beef up security at the San Carlos City jail.

The city jail, which houses 120 detainees, was being secured by only three guards when the aborted jailbreak took place.