Manhunt launched vs "high profile" escapees from Cotabato Provincial Jail

Manhunt launched vs "high profile" escapees from Cotabato Provincial Jail ROMY O. ELUSFA KIDAPAWAN CITY--Joint operatives of the Army, Police and Jail personnel yesterday launched a manhunt operation against three inmates of the North Cotabato Provincial Jail who bolted out from prison Wednesday dawn. North Cotabato Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Chief Erwin Ronquillo, who considered one of the escapees as "high profile" prisoner, theorized that the jail break might have happened early dawn but was discovered by jail personnel only around 5:00 in the morning. Ronquillo identified the escapees as Maxy Mamaluba, Teng Mustapha and Nasser Ismael. Ismael, he added, could be considered a high profile detainee because "police records show that he has killed a number of people." Mustapha and Mamaluba were charged with illegal drug related cases. A pair of slippers left near the concrete fence of the jail facility made the BJMP personnel doubt prisoners might have escaped, a reason Ronquillo directed his men to conduct a headcount. "After the headcount, we learned that three prisoners were missing," the jail official said. Two of the escapees, Ronquillo said, were suspected drug pushers charged of violating Republic Act 1965, while another was charged with a number of murder cases. Learning of the jail break, Cotabato Gov. Emmylou "Lala" Talino-Mendoza immediately called BJMP, Army and Police officials to a conference, where the manhunt plan was hatched. Among others, Ronquillo said he recommended to Mendoza the "decongestion" of the jail facility as one of the measures to avoid a similar jail break from happening again. The jail facility "only has 150 capacity and a maximum of 300," the jail official said as he stressed that the present 1550 inmates was too much for his team to handle. Some 53 percent of the 1,550 inmates are facing illegal drugs related charges. To decongest the provincial jail, Ronquillo suggested that some inmates, whose cases are being tried at the Regional Trial Courts (RTC) in Kidapawan City, be remanned at the Kidapawan City Jail. Two weeks ago, he said he already discussed his proposal with one of the RTC judges in Kidapawan City. ###

Manhunt launched vs "high profile" escapees from Cotabato Provincial Jail

Manhunt launched vs "high profile" escapees from Cotabato Provincial Jail ROMY O. ELUSFA KIDAPAWAN CITY--Joint operatives of the Army, Police and Jail personnel yesterday launched a manhunt operation against three inmates of the North Cotabato Provincial Jail who bolted out from prison Wednesday dawn. North Cotabato Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Chief Erwin Ronquillo, who considered one of the escapees as "high profile" prisoner, theorized that the jail break might have happened early dawn but was discovered by jail personnel only around 5:00 in the morning. Ronquillo identified the escapees as Maxy Mamaluba, Teng Mustapha and Nasser Ismael. Ismael, he added, could be considered a high profile detainee because "police records show that he has killed a number of people." Mustapha and Mamaluba were charged with illegal drug related cases. A pair of slippers left near the concrete fence of the jail facility made the BJMP personnel doubt prisoners might have escaped, a reason Ronquillo directed his men to conduct a headcount. "After the headcount, we learned that three prisoners were missing," the jail official said. Two of the escapees, Ronquillo said, were suspected drug pushers charged of violating Republic Act 1965, while another was charged with a number of murder cases. Learning of the jail break, Cotabato Gov. Emmylou "Lala" Talino-Mendoza immediately called BJMP, Army and Police officials to a conference, where the manhunt plan was hatched. Among others, Ronquillo said he recommended to Mendoza the "decongestion" of the jail facility as one of the measures to avoid a similar jail break from happening again. The jail facility "only has 150 capacity and a maximum of 300," the jail official said as he stressed that the present 1550 inmates was too much for his team to handle. Some 53 percent of the 1,550 inmates are facing illegal drugs related charges. To decongest the provincial jail, Ronquillo suggested that some inmates, whose cases are being tried at the Regional Trial Courts (RTC) in Kidapawan City, be remanned at the Kidapawan City Jail. Two weeks ago, he said he already discussed his proposal with one of the RTC judges in Kidapawan City. ###