‘Coed killer’ bolts Manila jail; 10 guards in hot water

Ten officers of the Manila City Jail (MCJ) were disarmed and restricted to quarters following Thursday’s predawn escape of two inmates, including a suspect in the killing of a medical student in 2010.

The escapees allegedly took advantage of the noise during the heavy downpour early Thursday morning to use a saw and cut the window grills of “Commando Gang Dormitory 13,” before climbing down the wall outside using blankets as a rope.

The MCJ warden, Senior Superintendent Ruel Rivera, said five tracking teams had been deployed to hunt down robbery-homicide suspect Justin Bautista, 22, and drug suspect Carlo Galanto, 19.

Rivera said the two escaped between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Thursday.

“I have directed all guards on duty at the time, including the officer of the day, disarmed and restricted to quarters,” he said.

Bautista is one of the three suspects who allegedly robbed and killed Mary Roxan Musngi, a 20-year-old medical student of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila on July 23, 2010.

Musngi was then on her way home after attending a group study session when she was blocked by three men on a motorcycle at the corner of Gen. Lukban and Juan Luna streets in Tondo.

Two of the men grabbed her bag but Musngi tried to fight off her attackers, prompting the third suspect to stab her dead.—With Julliane de Jesus