Masbate jailbreak that killed 2 started with spat over P100

NAGA CITY—A spat over P100 could have led to a  jailbreak in Palanas, Masbate on Tuesday that left a jail warden and an inmate dead, according to investigators.

A jail guard is in critical condition after the escapees attacked jail officials.

A report by investigators quoted a prisoner, Felipe Largo, who joined the jailbreak but returned soon, as saying he heard inmate Rommel Padailap demanding P100 from Jail Officer 1 Julius Cervantes.

Largo was quoted as saying an argument ensued and he saw Cervantes sprawled on the floor, bloodied shortly after.

Cervantes, who was now fighting for his life, was bludgeoned with a wooden club by Padailap, said Senior Insp. Lope Badillo, Palanas police chief.

Padailap opened the front gate of his detention cell and freed two more inmates—Jessie Caber and Romeo Olasca Jr.

Padailap barged into the office of Senior Jail Officer 1 Rene Danao, the jail warden, and struck him repeatedly on the head with the club. Danao was left lying bloodied.

Olasca Jr., one of two inmates freed by Padailap, forced open the stock room to get an M-16 rifle and a shotgun.

Seeing jail guard Danao still alive, Olasca struck him with the butt of the M-16.

Padailap and Olasca went to Cell No. 1, offering to free Largo and another inmate, Romulo Pason. Pason, however, refused to go with the escapees. He was struck on the head and died later.

Police and soldiers on Wednesday scoured remote areas of the town to hunt the escaped prisoners, but came back empty handed.