Calbayog jailbreak: 1 escapee slain, 1 captured

CALBAYOG, Samar—An escapee was shot dead while another was captured in separate operations conducted by policemen and agents of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) who were on a manhunt for at least 16 inmates who bolted the city jail on Wednesday.

Nelwin Juanerio was shot and killed around 5:30 a.m. on Friday when he tried to grab the firearm of an arresting officer in Barangay Cacaransan, about a kilometer away from the Calbayog City jail.

About eight hours earlier, police and BJMP personnel captured Rowell Cuanico around 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, also in Barangay Cacaransan, which is about 3 km from the city proper.

The manhunt team, composed of two policemen and seven BJMP personnel, is still hunting down the 14 other escapees.

Among them are murder suspects Malix Lucente, Efren Pante, Edwin Abria, Gerry Dealagdon, Ian Pante and Romeo Carpio.

The others still at large are robbery suspect Freddie Cagomoc; Joey Agas and Dante Helilio, who were both charged with highway robbery; and Dindo Calagos, Romeo Coligado and Romeo Pinote, who were all charged with rape.

Also being hunted down are Roberto Pintuan, who is facing a charge of violating the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act, and Crisanto delos Reyes, who is facing a frustrated murder case.

Supt. Elmer Cinco, Calbayog police chief, said a village official tipped off authorities that Cuanico, a murder suspect from Northern Samar province, was hiding in Cacaransan.

The village official was told that Cuanico borrowed a flashlight from a resident to light his way in the dark.

Law enforcers went to Cacaransan and arrested Cuanico around 9:30 p.m. on April 3.

The team spotted Juanerio inside a nipa hut near a rice field in Barangay Cacaransan around 5:30 a.m. on Friday.

Cinco said the escapee was shot when he tried to grab the firearm of one of the arresting officers.

Juanerio was brought to the Calbayog district hospital where he was declared dead by doctors.

Police and BJMP personnel will continue their manhunt operation until all the escapees are captured, said Cinco.