BACOLOD CITY – The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Western Visayas (BJMP-6) has launched a manhunt operation for the five inmates or persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who bolted the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Tabunan, Bago City early morning on Tuesday.
The escapees were identified as Francisco Epogon, of Barangay Isio, Cauayan; Marvin Celeste, of Sitio Tima, Barangay Gawahon, Victorias City; Danilo Celeste, of Barangay Timawa, Victorias City; Alejandro Montoya, of Barangay Tisol, Victorias City; and Daniel Tamon, of Barangay Kumaliskis, Don Salvador Benedicto.
Lt. Abegael Donasco, officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) Public Information Office, said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday they are ready to provide augmentation personnel for the manhunt operation.
“The moment that we learned about the incident, the information has been disseminated. The chiefs of police and the stations were informed to watch out for sightings of the escapees,” she added.
In local media reports, BJMP-6 spokesperson Jairus Anthony Dogelio said NODJ warden Prizel Arevalo has been relieved from his post as a standard operating procedure whenever a “mass escape” occurs.
Chief Insp. Abner Zamora took over as head of the NODJ.
Meanwhile, Master Sgt. Leonel Gepaya, intelligence officer of Cauayan Municipal Police Station, said in a radio interview they served a warrant of arrest to Epogon only last June 21.
Believed to be the leader of the Epogon robbery group, the native of Sipalay City was arrested at the house of his common-law-wide in Cauayan town.
In a separate radio interview, Lt. Col. Eduardo Corpuz, chief of Victorias City Police Station, said the Celeste brothers are charged with violations committed in the city and the neighboring localities
Source: Philippines News Agency
