Entire Jolo police force sacked over jailbreak

COTABATO CITY – All personnel of the Jolo municipal police have been relieved from their posts in connection with the escape of 29 detainees from their detention cell in Barangay Walled City over the weekend.

Seventeen of the inmates were recaptured in a follow-up operation by a joint team of the military and the police shortly after the jailbreak that occurred at around 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Amanhunt has been launched for the remaining 12 fugitives.

Select members of the Sulu provincial police replaced the relieved personnel of the Jolo police.

The military is helping the Sulu police locate the fugitives, according to Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares, director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police office.

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., chief of the the Western Mindanao Command, yesterday told The STAR that all Army and Marine units in Sulu have been ordered to help track down the fugitives.

Mijares identified the 12 as Herbert Bael, Radzmir Salahudin, Nurhassan Taasan, Alim Misah, Abdulwahid Lipae, Junal Sali, Alvin Hamdi, Al-Amil Kipili, Algamer Bantala, Muthamir Pangambayan, Khan Balang and Dante Abdulla.

Except for Bael, who was facing charges of physical injury, the rest were jailed for drug-related cases, he said.

Mijares declined to give details on how the detainees escaped from the facility, pending results of an investigation that will be conducted into the incident.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, chief of the Joint Task Force Sulu, said initial inivestigation showed the jail guard on duty was not in his post when the jailbreak occurred.

“The guard went to the toilet and the inmates picked the lock of the cell and fled,” Senior Inspector Jemar delos Santos, spokesman for the regional police, told AFP.

The jail, which is located near a port, can accomodate 50 inmates.

Jolo is a base of the Abu Sayyaf bandit group.

Authorities have yet to determine whether the fugitives have links with the militants.