3 ‘high-profile’ inmates escape in Kidapawan jailbreak

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines – Three “high-profile" criminals escaped from the Cotabato Provincial Rehabilitation Center in Amas village in the city after they destroyed the back portion of their prison cell around 2 a.m. Friday, authorities said. Acting provincial jail warden Red Marasigan identified the escapees as Muhalidin Sulaik Hassan, a resident of Nuangan village arrested in 2007 after he was implicated in the KMCC mall bombing on Nov 22, 2007; Salahudin Limpangan who was charged of kidnapping for ransom and Khaddafy Sagandingan who is facing a number of motorcycle theft cases. On February 3, 2007 an armed group attacked the same jail, freeing 49 inmates most of them high-profile criminals. One of the leaders of the February 2007 jail break and attack was identified as Musali Cado, who, was arrested in Sultan Kudarat province on March 2008, but escaped from the Kidapawan City Jail on Jan 5 this year. The jail break also came at the height of bombing incidents in Central Mindanao and after the Army intensified its operations against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Commander Ameril Umbra Kato in Maguindanao province, leader of rogue MILF elements that attacked several towns in North Cotabato on August 2008 that resulted in the displacement of thousands of families. Since Monday, two bombing incidents occurred in Cotabato City and authorities foiled bomb try in Pikit, a town in North Cotabato. - Malu Cadelina Manar, GMANews.TV