Entire Jolo police station relieved of duty after jailbreak

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — All personnel of the Jolo municipal police office were relieved from their posts Sunday after detainees managed to escape from their detention facility.

 

Chief Superintendent Graciano Mijares of the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said Sunday the 12 detainees, who were to be prosecuted for various offenses, escaped Saturday morning.

 

According to an Associated Press report, the jailbreak was staged when a police guard left to take a break, but other police officers sprang to action and arrested 17 of the escapees in a melee just outside the jail, located in the Jolo townhall compound in the heart of the port town.

 

Jolo is the capital town of Sulu province, where the Islamic State-inspired Abu Sayyaf operates.

 

The province also accounts for the most number of deadly clan wars from among four other ARMM provinces.

 

Mijares said military units are now helping the Sulu provincial police locate all 12 escapees — Herbert Bael, Radzmir Salahudin,  Nurhassan Taasan, Alim Misah, Abdulwahid Lipae, Junal Sali, Alvin Hamdi, Al-Amil Kipili, Algamer Bantala, Muthamir Pangambayan, Khan Balang and  Dante Abdulla.

 

Mijares declined to give details on how the 12 suspects escaped from the Jolo police detention facility in broad daylight pending the outcome of a probe on the culpability of police personnel on duty.

 

"Apparently there was neglect on their part. That is something the leadership of PRO-ARMM cannot tolerate. We just have to let investigators finish their task of investigating on the incident," Mijares said.

 

Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez, Jr. of the Western Mindanao Command told The STAR via phone on Sunday that he has directed all Army and Marine units in Sulu to mobilize plainclothes intelligence agents to help the provincial police track the wanted men down.

 

Mijares said select members of the Sulu provincial police have replaced the Jolo municipal police force, to be charged with corresponding administrative cases for the jailbreak.