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Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse M. Robredo said Friday he ordered the relief of the warden of Cotabato City jail following the predawn escape of 16 prisoners.

Robredo ordered the temporary relief of Jail Inspector Buenaventura Edrita, who was immediately replaced by Jail Chief Inspector Brendan Fulgencio as officer-in-charge of the city jail.

The Interior Secretary directed the new jail warden to look into reports that most of the escapees were forced to bolt out of jail after they had been prohibited by jail guards from saying Islamic community prayers inside their cells.

At the same time, he also asked Cotabato City police chief, Police Senior Superintendent Willie Dangane, to pursue and arrest the escapees, and to alert all police stations and nearby areas about the prison break.

“The police should seal all entry and exit points in the city and establish checkpoints in key areas to prevent the escapees from roaming to other towns,” Robredo said.

Early Thursday morning, 16 inmates of the Cotabato City Jail sneaked out of their cells by sawing off the steel bars of their cells and lowering themselves into a nearby river through blankets that were fashioned into ropes.

One of the escapees, Darwin Hervias, was intercepted by patrolling watchmen in barangay Poblacion VII.

Police and jail authorities are now hunting down 15 other escapees, including notorious criminals who are facing robbery, frustrated murder and murder charges.

Two of them, Mandi Kasubidan and Malik Ariman, were charged with murder for the killing of a teacher, who served as an election inspector during the recent polls.

This is the second jailbreak in Cotabato City since 2009. On April 17, 2009, 14 inmates bolted the city jail. (PNA)

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