THE Negros Occidental Provincial Provincial Office (Nocppo) has placed the Murcia Police Station and its neighboring police stations on heightened alert as manhunt operations continue the three jail escapees who remain at large as of Thursday evening, July 1, 2021.

Police Lieutenant Abegael Donasco, spokesperson for Nocppo, said police have alerted local residents of Murcia, especially in Hacienda Velez and the neighboring areas, to immediately report to authorities any sighting of the three escapees who managed to escape authorities chasing them on Wednesday.

Donasco said one of the escapees Marvin Celeste was killed after he engaged in a shootout with the members of the Murcia police and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. A .38 caliber revolver was recovered from his possession. Daniel Tamon was recaptured following the incident.

Alejandro Montoya of Victorias City, who was charged for carnapping, robbery, illegal possession of firearms Attempted Homicide and Acts of Lasciviousness; Danilo Celeste who is the brother of Marvin with cases for Carnapping, Robbery, Attempted Homicide, and Illegal Possession of Firearms; and Francisco Epogon of Cauayan, who is tagged as the leader of the notorious Epogon Crime Group and with cases for robbery with Violation Against Intimidation of Person and Robbery with Homicide, managed to escape.

Donasco also clarified that the three escapees are armless.

The police immediately started monitoring the possible areas the escapees might go through. They have also started digging further into the backgrounds of the escapees, especially Epogon.

The escapees, based on some information gathered by the Murcia police, were first spotted in Barangay Damsite, Bago City going to the neighboring Barangay Cansilayan in Murcia through shortcut routes and avoiding main roads.

Meanwhile, lawyer Jairus Anthony Dogelio, spokesperson for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Western Visayas, said Tamon was brought to the BJMP's isolation facility and will soon undergo swabbing.

Once he tests negative for Covid-19, he will immediately be brought back to prison.

About the blunder at the NODJ that caused the prison break, the BJMP's regional office has released a memorandum for all district jails in Western Visayas to temporarily disallow the entry of the prisoners' belongings, except for essential items such as medicines, vitamins, and supplements.

Dogelio also said they suspect that the entry of the prisoners' belongings could have been used to smuggle contraband inside the jails.