Manhunt on against“dangerous” fugitive

CEBU, Philippines — “Alive only.”

This was the standing order of Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas in the ongoing manhunt for Jennifer Mercader, who bolted out of the Medellin District Jail last Tuesday.

Sinas, in a press conference, told reporters that tracker teams from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-7 have been deployed for the manhunt operation against Mercader.

Sinas warned pursuing operatives to be careful and asked the public to report to authorities immediately.

“He is really armed and dangerous.  Mao nang gi-estorya nako sa mga polis nga ayaw mo og relax kung makita nyo ni kay armado gyud ni and mao na iyang forte,” he said.

BJMP-7 Spokesperson Jail Senior Inspector Rolly Bandeling, in a phone interview with reporters, said that during the 7 p.m. accounting of persons denied of liberty (formerly called inmates), Mercader was not present.

In a report made by Medellin District Jail Warden Corazon Noel to the BJMP-7 headquarters, he said that an on-site inspection ensued afterwards.

The jail guards figured out that he got out through the ongoing construction in the female dormitory, which was just adjacent to the male detention facility.

Mercader reportedly managed to escape through a four-meter fence with barb wire.

Bandeling said that the barbed wire indicated someone got through it, as it had been stretched out to fit a man.

He said that they are conducting an investigation as of the moment.

Despite the incident, the BJMP-7 will not suspend the visitation rights of the other inmates as there are added security from BJMP-7 and a team of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) from PRO-7.

He said that the investigation is also aimed to determine if any of the jail guards have connived with the suspect.

If found true, appropriate administrative charges will be filed against identified jail guards, he said.

“Rest assured once ma-determine ang investigation nga naa lapses, he will be subjected to administrative cases. We do not discount the possibility that some jail officials will be relieved but subject ni sa directives sa atong regional director,” he said.

Mercader was a former barangay captain of Barangay Logo, Borbon, Cebu and was arrested last September 2017 for illegal possession of firearms by the operatives of the Cebu Provincial Police Office – Intelligence Branch.

Mercader was acquitted of murder charges last 2016 and the case of illegal firearms is still in the court. — GAN (FREEMAN)