Laguna cops on alert after prison break

SAN PEDRO CITY — Police tracker teams were sent on Monday to the towns of Mabitac, Pagsanjan and Famy, while at least three villages in Los Baños town were “cordoned off” after six prisoners bolted the provincial jail in Laguna province on Sunday.

Supt. Arvin Avelino, Los Baños police chief, said the location of three of six escapees was last monitored in the village of Bayog in Los Baños, some 24 kilometers from the detention facility in the capital town of Sta. Cruz.

This information, however, is still being verified by intelligence operatives.

Aside from Bayog, policemen were also monitoring the adjacent villages of Maahas and San Antonio, while road blocks were set up in the town’s entry and exit points, Avelino said.

“The three villages were cordoned off by the (police),” said Rommel Palacol of the Laguna government’s Action Center.

The Laguna police was placed on alert when six inmates escaped the provincial jail before noon on Sunday after they shot and wounded jail guard Norberto Malabanan.

Senior Insp. Gerry Sangalang, Laguna police spokesperson, said three of the escapees boarded a tricycle before commandeering a sport utility vehicle.

“The three drove toward Los Baños but hit another vehicle,” Sangalang said. The prisoners abandoned the stolen car and escaped on foot.

The other three prisoners were believed to have fled toward Laguna’s fourth district towns.

Pagsanjan is about 6 km from Sta. Cruz, while Mabitac and Famy are about 30 km from the capital.

The prisoners were identified as Rhandel Vale of Famy; Rayman Raymundo of Biñan City; Teddy Bucal of Mabitac; Romel Macaraig of San Pablo City; Verjust Dizon of Pagsanjan; and Rio Mahilom of Caloocan City.

They were jailed for murder, car theft, firearms possession and illegal drugs, police said.

Employees of the Los Baños government, since Sunday night, have been going house to house warning residents against the prisoners.

Sangalang said they were looking into the prison’s “security lapses” since one of the prisoners was able to bring in a .38 caliber pistol. —Maricar Cinco