3 of 9 prisoners who escaped from QC police station caught, back to jail

MANILA, Philippines—Three of the nine prisoners from the Quezon City police station 5 who escaped before dawn Wednesday have been caught, police said.

Escaped inmates Pedro Perez, Russel Catintay and Romulos Bagnate were nabbed at around 5 p.m. in Barangay (village) Silangan in San Mateo, Rizal, said Superintendent Edgardo Pamitan, the QCPD Station 5 commander. Reyes was believed to have led the eight other detainees in their escape.

Pamitan explained that Perez told authorities that his girlfriend had helped in their escape by slipping in the saw, which they used to cut metal bars on the windows of their detention cells.

Perez was carrying a homemade firearm when he was caught by police, said the station commander. He added that cases would be readied against the three inmates.

Police Officer 3 Jezrel Regalado of the QCPD said the inmates escaped at around 2 a.m.

Authorities are investigating the incident and are working to catch six more prisoners who remain at large.