23 young offenders escape; 11 recovered

MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan — Eleven of the 23 juveniles delinquents or children in conflict with the law (CICLs) who escaped from the Tanglaw Pag-asa Reform Center in Barangay Guinhawa, here, last Monday night have been recovered as of yesterday afternoon.

Senior Superintendent Romeo M. Caramat Jr., Bulacan police director, said seven of the CICLs were arrested by the elements of Police Provincial Safety Company (PPSC) in a follow-up operation while the four others were surrendered by their respective par- ents.

Initial investigation showed that the 23 CICLs who escaped the Tanglaw facility sneaked through the comfort room which was under renovation. They went out through the window and used blankets to scale down the building’s façade, said Caramat.

A number of those who surrendered or were rearrested told police that they escaped because they were bored and had missed being with their parents and families.

Bulacan Governor Wilhelmino M. Sy-Alvarado assured that CICLs housed at Tanglaw now have a more dynamic program with the facility equipped just recently with computer units to facilitate learning.

The governor said the minors are receiving online lessons through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) which was digitalized with the help of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) and volunteer teachers from the Bulacan State University, the Bulacan Polytechnic College and the Department of Education (DepEd) Mobile Teachers.