Police recapture two jailbreakers

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines – Freedom of the two city jail detainees, who bolted jail last Monday (Dec. 17), was short-lived after they were arrested the day after and put behind bars again.

The two—identified as Ariel Daclison, 21-year-old native of Tacloban City who has been serving imprisonment for theft, and Mark Gervin Culajara, 22-year-old Boholano who has been jailed for illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearm—were caught in Barangay Mansasa of this city after a brief chase.

City Police operatives were able to recapture the escapees at around 7 a.m. Tuesday due to a report from the mother of Culajara himself who encouraged the two to surrender to the authorities for their own safety.

Culajara admitted he had grown homesick when family members stopped visiting him lately, especially as Christmas approaches.

The two detainees managed to escape through the jail’s dilapidated iron grills they intentionally destroyed for the purpose.

The jailguard, PO2 Calixto Pinat, who was on duty at that time, said that at around 6:50 p.m. he heard somebody from inside the jail shouting to inform him that the two destroyed the grills and escaped through the back portion of the police station.

Initial investigation, however, showed that the two easily passed through the main door of the station that Pinat allegedly failed to lock at the time, during visiting hours.

The jailbreakers, apparently short of money, were deterred from going far and forced to hide in Culajara’s residence at Happy Valley in Mansasa district, located about a kilometer and a half from the police station. (FREEMAN)