Bacoor jailbreak ‘leader’ recaptured at Baclaran church while meeting partner, girlfriend

SAN PEDRO CITY – The detainee, who allegedly cajoled fellow inmates into escaping jail in Bacoor City in Cavite province was re-arrested in Manila late Monday evening, the police said Tuesday.

In a phone interview, Bacoor police chief Supt. Vicente Cabatingan said they re-arrested Jene Lloyd Bernabe around 11 p.m. in the church compound in Baclaran, Manila.

As of Tuesday noon, police were tracking down eight more detainees, out of the 23 who bolted the police detention facility last Friday.

“(Bernabe) was meeting his live-in partner and, at the same time, his girlfriend in the church. He didn’t know we’ve been following the girlfriend since,” Cabatingan said.

He said Bernabe, who was charged with abduction with rape, a non-bailable offense, was the one who “led” the other detainees into forcing the cell’s gate open and overpowering the jail guards.

“He had been telling others: ‘We are going to escape, I’ll take care of you once outside.’ But of course, they went on their own when they got out,” Cabatingan said of the escapees.

Eight Bacoor policemen were relieved as investigation into the incident was underway. The Bacoor police on Monday also filed charges of direct assault, physical injury, and malicious mischief against the 15 recaptured inmates, who mostly originally faced drug charges.

“The others (escapees) were angry at him (Bernabe) specially those whose cases were originally bailable. Now they are facing additional charges,” Cabatingan added.