Cops recapture 4 Tagum City jail escapees

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, Philippines – Police authorities have announced the recapture of the four inmates who escaped from the detention cell of the city police station on Tuesday.

But Senior Supt. Samuel Gadingan, Davao del Norte police chief, said on Thursday that administrative charges have been filed against two policemen for their failure to prevent the detainees from breaking out of their lock-up cell.

Two of the escapees, identified as Ram John Gudin and Jasper Salas, were re-arrested in Digos City in Davao del Sur around 8 p.m. Wednesday, said Insp. Anjanette Tirador, the city police spokesperson.

She said the two other inmates, both minors, were collared in Nabunturan town in Compostela Valley around 5 p.m. the same day.

Mayor Allan Rellon called the jail break embarrassing and challenged the police to thoroughly investigate the breach and mete out appropriate sanctions against erring policemen.

“There should be no whitewash (in the investigation),” Rellon said.

The two policemen relieved and charged due to the escape of the prisoners were identified by their last names only as SPO1 Zafra and PO3 Ortega.

“We need to implement some refresher course on discipline. We’ve monitored there were lapses, security was not tight,” said Rellon.

“It’s an issue of leadership also.”

The detainees carried out their escape by sawing off the chain that bound the padlock of their cell under the cover of darkness and heavy downpour around 2:50 a.m. on Tuesday.

Five other inmates, including a policeman jailed in connection with a drug raid here last April, did not join the breakout.