STA. MARCELA, Apayao – A jail guard and an inmate were killed while two inmates were able to escape during a jailbreak that happened at the Apayao provincial jail here over the weekend, a police official said here Monday.
Senior Superintendent Robert Gallardo, director of the Aparao provincial police office, identified the fatalities as Provincial Guard 1 Damaso Patang Peru Jr. and inmate Heubert Baletbet Fuerte.
The inmates who were able to escape were named by the police official as Marcelino Elivado Dagdagan, 43, married and his brother Felix Elivado Dagdagan Jr., 23, both residents of barangay San Jose, Flora, Apayao.
“We are conducting massive pursuit operation against the escapees because their murder cases have been aggravated by the murder of the jail guard and the helpless inmate,” Gallardo said.
Probers disclosed three inmates of the jail sought the assistance of law enforcers after the reported jailbreak prompting responding elements of the Sta. Marcela municipal police station to immediately visit the crime scene.
Law enforcers reportedly discovered two dead bodies at the premises of the jail, the body of Pero was discovered was discovered slumped near the flagpole with multiple hacked wounds on his head while the cadaver of Fuerte was located inside the jail’s facility with hacked wound on the neck and a gunshot wound (inflicted with the use of a shotgun) on the left side of his stomach.
Earlier, the suspects and the victims together with OIC Jail Warden, PG2 Reynaldo Valenzuela Romero, and another male person named Aristotle Montenegro had a drinking spree at the kitchen of the said jail. After several hours, OIC Jail Warden Romero together with Aristotle Montenegro left the provincial jail leaving PG1 Peru alone. After which, the suspects allegedly killed the victims and fled. The suspects also carted away the issued firearms of the jail guard described as one (1) Caliber 9mm pistol and one (1) shotgun.
Elements of the scene of the crime operation (SOCO) who processed the crime scene recovered one piece bolo measuring 18.5 inches long from handle to tip, alleged weapon used to hack the victims; one piece bladed knife without handle measuring 14 inches long; a black holster for short firearm; and two pieces live ammunition for 12 gauge shotgun.
All recovered items were brought to the Apayao crime laboratory for further examination while autopsy was done on the bodies of the victims.
Gov. Elias C. Bulut, Jr. condemned the murder incident and the jailbreak that tainted the province’s image as the most peaceful and orderly province in Northern Luzon, saying that massive manhunt operations must be conducted in order to arrest the perpetrators for them to answer for the crimes they committed.
“We are deeply saddened by the latest violent incident in the province. We want our law enforcers to have convincing results on the outcome of their investigation in order to give justice to the families and relatives of the victims,” Bulut stressed.