Friday, April 29, 2005
City Council to investigate warden on mass jailbreak
By Edmund Sestoso and Adrian Sedillo
THE City Council Thursday will invite Jail Warden Waldemar Villanueva to its session this week to shed light on the circumstances that led to Dumaguete City's first mass jailbreak last week.
Villanueva was in Cebu City when nine inmates of the Dumaguete City jail in Barangay Bajunmpandan flew the coop at around 4:30 Sunday afternoon.
In-charge of the jail, some three kilometers from the National Highway in Barangay Banilad, at that time was Jail Inspector Benjamin Oira.
Councilor Myrish Cadapan-Antonio told the City Council that in aid of legislation, the warden should shed light on why the jailbreak happened and to recommend possible solutions to the conditions of the jail.
Cadapan-Antonio said Villanueva's input could pave the way for the council to come up with legislative measures to prevent similar future incidents.
Initially, Mayor Agustin Perdices commented of 'procedural lapses' by the jail guards and described the incident as a lesson to strengthen jail security.
Perdices clarified that contrary to perceptions, the city jail is under the supervision of the National Government.
However, he said, the City Government commits itself to look for funds to help widen the prison area to decongest its three crowded cells.
As of Thursday, except for Dante Nuevo, elements of the Philippine National Police and soldiers of the 61st Infantry Battalion have recaptured all eight escapees in Dumaguete City and adjoining Valencia municipality less than a week after they flew the coop armed with five high-powered firearms.
The eighth to fall was Danilo Dumdum alias Bagdok, who, unconfirmed reports said, surrendered to jail guards in his house in Sitio Canday-ong, Barangay Calindagan.
Dumdum is facing sentence for the killing of Joel Pino, manager of Wonder Travel and Tour, on the evening of February 14, Valentine's Day, 2005.
The other recaptured escapees were Roberto Baticulon, who was arrested in Barangay Calindagan five hours after the jailbreak; Roderick Linehan, Jhonny Lingcong, Arnel Arbances, and Jesus Montecrejo who were arrested 7:30 in the morning of Monday in Sitio Cangbangkas, Barangay Sagbang in Valencia; and Lyndon Dungkoy and Roger Turon who were recaptured nine o'clock Tuesday morning in Sitio Hayugan, Barangay Malaunay in Valencia and Danilo Dumdum, a resident of Okiot in Bais City recaptured by authorities last Wednesday.
Authorities have recovered from the recaptured escapees one M-16 rifle, one carbine rifle, and a shotgun that were left at the back of Junob National High School in Barangay Talay and an M16 rifle and a caliber .38 pistol with magazine.
Dungcoy and Turon were captured near noon Tuesday after a brief firefight with 61st IB soldiers, members of the 705th Provincial Police Mobile Group, and police in Sitio Hayugan, Barangay Malaunay in Valencia.
Dungcoy was wounded in the brief firefight and was rushed for treatment at Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital while Turon was returned to his cell at the city jail.
(April 24, 2005 issue)
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