Inmate sneaks out of Provincial jail

CEBU, Philippines - A manhunt operation has been conducted by the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center for the immediate arrest of an inmate who escaped from the detention facility last Monday.

Arnel Mait, who is facing drug charges, pretended to be a visitor when he went out of the provincial jail passing through the main gate in plain view of the guards.

CPDRC jail warden Romeo Manansala said Mait made his own stamp similar to the one used by the guards for visitors and wore a visitor’s pass.

 “Matod pa sa blue guard naa kunoy tatak, naka ID sad kuno, kana atong visitors ID bitaw, ‘nya nakita man to sa atong gi-review sa atong CCTV alas 6:31 sa buntag nakagawas siya” Manansala said.

Manansala said visitors were allowed to stay overnight on Sunday.

“Katong stamp sa iyang bukton, kung tan-awon pa lang to sa blue guard careful pa lang gyud ang blue guard, dili gyud to kagawas kay lahi gyud to sa atong stamp, iyang gibuhat buhat lang, kuan man to karton nga gipabag-an kaayo ang letra nga sulat nga CPDRC, iyang gipabag-an maayo human iyang gitamla sa iyang bukton” Manansala said.

He said they are now conducting investigation where did Mait get the visitor’s pass.

Mait used the stairs from the second floor in going down to the main entrance. Jail officials were able to discover the missing inmate at 9 a.m., more than two hours after Mait escaped.

“Gitan-aw ang iyang sakop, wala siya, gitawag sa paging sa atong speaker didto wala moduol mao to nga gi-review sa CCTV mao to nakit-an to siya,” Manansala said.

Manansala said Mait’s cellmates told them that Mait had been complaining that his wife was no longer visiting him.

“Kay katong iyang asawa wa gyud siya duawa diha, kay duna kunoy uyoan atong iyang asawa nga polis, unya gikontrahan tong bata-ana kay kawatan. Pagkadakpan wala na gipaduaw ang asawa mao to nga, ngano daw iyang asawa wala na moduaw niya,” Manansala said.

Mait was committed to CPDRC last January because of illegal drugs.

Jail consultant Marco Toral said they already visited Mait’s house in Argao but he was not there.

They also went to the house of Mait in Dumanjug but the family didn’t know his whereabouts.

Officials from the CPDRC already gave a picture of Mait and their contact number to coast guard personnel at Tangil port in Dumanjug in case the escapee will cross to nearby Negros island.

Manansala admitted there were lapses committed by the guards. He said he already recommended an investigation by the Capitol’s Committee on Discipline and Investigation into the incident. (FREEMAN)