COTABATO CITY – Authorities are hot on the trail of six escapees who bolted from the Maguindanao provincial jail facility here Tuesday dawn.
Senior Supt. Rolly Octavio, city police director, said an inmate was killed after he refused to heed to the jail guards who fired warning shots to prevail the fleeing inmates out the jail facility located at PC Hill, Barangay Rosary Heights.
Police identified the slain inmate as Michael Balitoc who is facing murder and drug charges.
Authorities are still hunting down the six other jail escapees identified as Dantes Sandigan Kadatuan, Golly Mangandong, Sindatok Ampatua, Sadam Lucas, Ameludin Maliga and Turac Sabal who are facing chargesfor illegal possession of firearms, illegal drugs and murder.
Octavio said authorities are closely monitoring the whereabouts of the escapees who are still holed up in the city.
Police said the inmates made good of their escape by destroying the padlock of their detention cell at the second floor of the jail facility.
Abdukrahman Asim, Maguindanao provincial government administrator, said investigation is now underway to determine if the jail guards on duty committed lapses which gave the jail inmates the opportunity to escape. (Joseph Jubelag)
