The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-9 (PDEA-9) has dismissed permanently the prison guards and the duty officer at PDEA-Zamboanga City when seven drug suspects escaped dawn on May 13, 2024.

The city officer of PDEA-Zamboanga City was also relieved temporarily. The prison guards dismissed were replaced by jail guards from the regional office.

Based on latest report from the tracker team, the drug suspects are still within the city. PDEA-9 called on the relatives and friends of the escapees to report to authorities should they have knowledge of their whereabouts.

“Kung kayo man ay may impormasyon na makatutulong para mahanap itong pitong nakatakas ay makipag-ugnayan agad sa PDEA. Nagbibigay din po kami babala sa kung sino man ang tutulong at kukupkop dito sa pito na meron itong kaakibat na kaparusahan,” PDEA-9 Director, Maharani Ganadaoni-Tosoc, said.

Four of the escapees are from Zamboanga City, two are from Sulu, and one is from Isabela City, Basilan.

Investigation showed that the drug suspects escaped through the ceiling and by digging a hole through the wall. They then went through the roof of a house beside the detention facility.

“May nakita tayong isang kapirasong bakal at iyon ay posibleng ginamit ng mga preso sa pagbutas. Isa iyon sa mga tinitingnan ng imbestigador kung papaano nakapasok sa detention facility. And initially, may mga nakita tayong paglabag sa existing protocols ng ating detention facility,” Ganadaoni-Tosoc added.

PDEA-9 said a similar incident will not happen in its other facilities in the region.