6 prisoners,1 allegedly armed, bolt Laguna jail; guard wounded

SAN PEDRO CITY — Police are hunting down six male inmates who escaped the Laguna provincial jail by shooting a jail guard before noon on Sunday.

Laguna police director Sr. Supt. Cecilo Ison said the jail break happened around 11 a.m. in Sta. Cruz town, the province’s capital.

He said one of the escapees reportedly was armed with a .38 caliber gun which he used to shoot jail guard Norberto Malabanan. Malabanan was taken to a hospital but it is still not clear if he survived.

The escapees were identified as Rhandel Vale of Barangay (village) Bulihan in Famy, Laguna; Rio Mahilom of Caloocan City; Rayman Raymundo of Biñan City, Laguna; Teddy Bucal of Mabitac, Laguna; Romel Macaraig of San Pablo City, Laguna; and Verjust Dizon of Pagsanjan, Laguna. The six were involved in murder, carnapping, and illegal drug cases.

Ison, in a phone interview, said authorities are conducting follow-up operations to recapture the prisoners.

Meanwhile, several residents from Los Baños town told the Inquirer that they saw policemen chasing down the escapees past noon.

“We are also investigating why the prisoners were able to carry a gun inside the jail,” Ison added. /je