BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – Two of the five escapees of the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) have been recaptured by police in Hacienda Velez, Barangay Blumentritt, Murcia, Negros Occidental.
They were Daniel Tamon and Marvin Celeste, with the latter shot dead by operatives of the municipal police station.
It was unclear, as of this writing, if Celeste offered resistance that may have prompted a shootout.
According to Atty. Jairus Dogelio, spokesperson of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Region 6, they managed to track down the five at a sugarcane plantation in Blumentritt yesterday morning.
Based on accounts provided to Panay News by several residents there, hours prior to being tracked down, the five escapees (also including Danilo Celeste, Alejandro Montoya and suspected crime group leader Francisco Epogon) allegedly robbed a group of sugarcane workers, carting away some mobile phones and food supplies.
Police Captain Gerald Muya of the Murcia police station confirmed these accounts, but clarified only four of the escapees were involved.
Muya said descriptions given by the barangay captain matched to those of the inmates.
Three of the escapees managed to elude the authorities, he added.
Muya said they were last seen heading westward, possibly bound for Barangay Mansilingan here.
However, prior to the media leaving the area, it was confirmed that there were still sightings in Hacienda Velez which prompted the police to stay and continue the search.
The cops were later backed up by armed personnel from the BJMP. Authorities also deployed a drone to help in the search for the remaining suspects, who were still at large as of press time.
A bounty of P10,000 has also been offered to anyone who can give information about the three.
On the other hand, Dogelio said they have already launched an investigation against the NODJ personnel for their supposed lapses.
At the time of the incident (Tuesday), Dogelio said there were five jail guards on duty.
The BJMP is also looking into the arrangement of the jail facility itself, pointing out that the NODJ’s main administration office is built separately from the prison dorms.
Also, NODJ is said to be one of the biggest district jails in the country based on its land area and facilities.
Due to the incident, the jail has changed several rules and regulations, especially on the entry of the prisoners’ personal belongings and food items.
Currently the jail limits the entry of items inside the facility to essentials only./PN
