Saturday, March 03, 2007 Murder suspect bolts from prison By Minerva B. Gerodias Sun.Star Staff Reporter
TWO inmates of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) escaped from their isolation cell last Thursday night, but one of them was immediately caught.
Ronnie Tabora, 22, and Gilbert Palang, 23, escaped through the window of their isolation cell and climbed the two perimeter fences of the jail.
But because of the motion sensor installed on the second fence, the guards were alerted and immediately responded.
Palang, who is facing murder charges, was able to run and escape but Tabora was later caught hiding under the bushes a few feet from the fence. Tabora is facing charges for rape with homicide.
“If not for the sensors, four or more may have escaped,” Capitol consultant Byron Garcia said.
Guards on the spot
Because of the incident, six guards are now being investigated and have been instructed to submit their written explanation at 5 p.m. today.
Garcia said one of the six guards tested positive of drugs four years ago but because he is a regular employee, they could not easily fire him.
After last Thursday’s incident, Garcia could not help but express his dismay over the slow movement of the investigation on the guard’s case, which is being handled by the Capitol’s legal department.
“Di ta kadisiplina kay di naman mahadlok (We can’t enforce discipline if they have nothing to fear),” Byron said.
During Garcia’s interrogation yesterday, Tabora admitted they have been observing the tower guards for three consecutive nights and they noticed that these men left their post around 9 p.m.
They decided to escape around the same time, knowing they can go without being noticed by any of the guards.
Tabora and Palang shared the isolation cell with inmates Panfilo Bayon and John Mark Secuya.
The four allegedly planned to escape but because of the sensors, Bayon and Secuya were not able to make it.
Garcia admitted that the design of the jail windows is flawed because the grills are inches apart, making it easy for inmates to get through it.
They have installed steel mats on the windows but the installation has not reached the isolation cells.
Capitol already alerted the PNP so it can help in tracking down Palang.
He reportedly decided to escape because he no longer gets jail visits from his relatives.
Tabora is tagged as the suspect in raping and killing a 13-year-old girl in Carcar town last year.
He claimed to be the witness of the rape-slay and accused the father and the uncle of the girl of attacking her.
But the court found his testimonies inconsistent and later ordered his inclusion as a respondent to the case.
The victim’s father and uncle were eventually acquitted.
