BJMP orders probe on Laguna jailbreak - report

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) ordered Wednesday a full-blown investigation into a predawn jailbreak at Biñan town in Laguna province. Radio dzBB reported that BJMP head Dir. Rosendo Dial wants to see if the jailbreak was the result of negligence or whether some jail guards were in cahoots with the convicts. Dial said he will not hesitate to take administrative and criminal actions against those responsible, depending on the outcome of the investigation. At least 16 inmates escaped from the town jail before dawn Wednesday but three have been reported back in police custody later in the day. Initial investigation showed that the inmates escaped after one of them kicked one of the jail's two guards. The inmate had aided the jail guard in carrying a sick prisoner to a tricycle that will bring him to the hospital. On their way back to the prison, the aiding inmate kicked the jail guard, causing the guard to lose his balance. The prisoners then took advantage of the situation by fleeing their cell, the report said. The inmates had been planning their escape as early as July, police said. The escaped prisoners were mostly detained for car theft, robbery, and drug-related cases, the report said. On the other hand, earlier reports said the Binan municipal jail did not follow the directive obliging them to use a heavy chain around the jail lock to prevent the doors from opening easily. - GMANews.TV