9 inmates bolt Tondo jail; 2 still at large

MANILA, Philippines — Nine inmates at the Manila Police District (MPD)’s Station 1 in Tondo broke out at past midnight yesterday.

Gian Carlo Rayala, Arnold Bruno Olino, Jefferson Bunso Sapa Tumbaga, MJ Bigonia Tuazon, Master Cedric Martinez Zodiacal, John Joseph Martinez Laguna, Jericho Andal Antipuesto, Albert Crisostomo Calayas and Adriano Bacallan Zilmar escaped by breaking a bar on the jail’s gate, according to the MPD Station 1 report.

Most of the inmates faced charges related to illegal drugs, robbery or illegal possession of firearms during the election-related gun ban, a report from the National Capital Region Police Office stated.

Zodiacal and Tumbaga remained at large as of 5:30 p.m., MPD spokesman Maj. Philipp Ines said.

The inmates reportedly used their bare hands to repeatedly push against the bar and break it, according to earlier reports.

When the inmates managed to break the iron bar at around 1:30 a.m., they also encouraged other detainees to join them in their escape, radio reports stated.

The broken bar is part of the gate to the police station’s detention facility and could have weakened over time, observers said.

Ines said acting MPD director Col. Arnold Thomas Ibay ordered that MPD Station 1 commander Lt. Col. Roberto Mupas, his deputy and police officers in charge of the detention facility be relieved from their posts pending further investigation. – Nillicent Bautista