Cops kill "escapees" from Tacloban jail

ORMOC CITY, Philippines — Two unidentified men, suspected to have escaped from a jail in Tacloban City at the height of typhoon Yolanda, were killed after they fired at policemen patrolling the Ormoc City streets at 3:15 p.m. yesterday.

According to Police Station I investigator, SPO-4 Mark Ruita, one of those killed was around 35 to 40 years of age with a "BCJ" (Batang City Jail) tattoo on his right hip and the name "Louie Jay" on his right arm. The other man had tattoo markings on his shoulders.

Ruita said city policemen, together with a few men and another team from the Regional Public Safety Battalion, were on routine patrol when they saw three men near a bank here.

When the police attempted to accost the men, the latter scampered towards Mabini Street, at the back of the bank. This prompted the law enforcers to give chase, but one of the men fired shots at the police vehicle, forcing the police to fire back and hit two of the fleeing men. The third one was able to escape into darkness.

SOCO personnel recovered from the dead men a .38-caliber handgun, several sachets of shabu and an undisclosed amount of money.

Ruita said he could only surmise that the killed men may be among the escapees from the Tacloban jail due to their tattoos. The City Police had already coordinated with the Regional Police for help in identifying the fatalities.  (FREEMAN)