3 escapees kill Masbate jail deputy warden, co-inmate

MANILA, Philippines - The deputy warden and an inmate of the Masbate jail were clubbed to death with pieces of wood by three inmates who bolted the jail on Tuesday night, police said yesterday.

PO3 Bennie Cajigas said Senior Jail Officer 1 Rene Danao, deputy warden of the Masbate jail, and inmate Romulo Pason died due to wounds on their heads.

In a phone interview, Cajigas added that JO2 Julius Cervantes suffered severe wounds due to the attack by jailbreakers Rommel Padailap, Jessie Cabier, and Romeo Olasla Jr., who are facing rape, murder and frustrated murder charges, respectively.

Cajigas said the jailbreak took place at around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Masbate jail located in Barangay Poblacion, Palanas town.

Cajigas said the three inmates apparently got the pieces of wood from a pile used for cooking since Padailap was a “trustee” and tasked to cook their food.

The inmates found a hammer, which they used in destroying the lock of the jail armory and took three firearms – an M-16 rifle, a shotgun, and a short firearm of unknown caliber.

Cajigas said they responded to the jailbreak and found the bloodied Danao lying face down and Pason in his cell, bloodied and unconscious, too.

Cajigas said Danao was pronounced dead on arrival at the Cataingan District Hospital, while Cervantes remained in critical condition.