2 bolt Ubay jail, recaptured in a day

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — Two detainees on Monday evening bolted the lock-up jail of the Ubay Police Station, in Ubay town of Bohol, but had barely gone far enough when the police tracking team recaptured them within 24 hours.

Chief Inspector Petronilo Gracia Jr., chief of the Ubay Police chief of police, identified the two detainees as Alberto Pino, 28, of Ubay, and Jonar Cutamora, 25, of Trinidad town, both facing illegal drugs charges and jailed last January.

Pino and Cutamora escaped detention at around 9 p.m. Monday, and Gracia, upon discovering their disappearance from their cell, immediately sent teams to conduct manhunt operation.

At about 8 a.m. Tuesday, or 11 hours since the escape, the police caught Cutamora first at Barangay Bood in Ubay, about three kilometers from the police station. Then at around 10 p.m. later, the police team recaptured Pino.

The recapture of Cutamora was achieved after the police contacted four of his “lifelines,” one of whom was his girlfriend who cooperated by telling the authorities he texted her, informing that he was at Bood at around 7 p.m. After his arrest,

Cutamora told the police he and Pino just fled from detention on foot and that no one else aided their escape, except they themselves.

The Ubay Police team, getting tips from residents, cornered Pino while trying to seek refuge in his house at Barangay Fatima. Upon noticing the police, Pino ran from one house to another under the mantle of darkness, trying to outsmart the chasing policemen but, after a few minutes, he got cornered near his house.

Gracia said the two escaped by cutting with steel saw the iron bars at the back portion of their cell. Investigators believed the saw was provided by four persons who visited them a few days ago. Investigations are now underway to trace the persons possibly in cahoots with Pino in the illegal drugs trade. —(FREEMAN)