SIXTEEN detainees have bolted early Tuesday, April 10, from the Tetuan Police jail in Zamboanga City.
As of noontime, 11 of the 16, have already been recaptured. Nine of them were recaptured in a manhunt while two have surrendered.
Senior Inspector Shelamie Chang, Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO) information officer, said the detainees escaped at 2:50 a.m. Tuesday after one of them, William Parajado, sawed off the jail's iron grills.
Chang said five still remain at large.
Among the escapees were Adzri Juhuri, Nadhar Hack, Sulayman Sali Mampang and Lexandrous Manug, she said.
Chang said the two station guards on duty have tried but failed to stop as 16 of the 58 detainees ran fast and fled to different directions. The 16 detainees are all facing charges in relation to illegal drugs.
She said manhunt operation was immediately launched in coordination with the military’s Task Force Zamboanga and the Zamboanga Coastguard Station to prevent their escape outside this city.
Checkpoints have been set-up in areas leading to the residence of the escapees to include at the local port and at the integrated bus terminal.
She said Zamboanga City Mayor Isabell Climaco-Salazar has also ordered the police to re-capture the detainees within 24 hours. (SunStar Philippines)