1 of 3 IRC escapees yields
After three days of hiding Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC) escapee Mamerto Barranco voluntarily surrendered to Bombo Radyo Iloilo last Friday.
He was then presented to Governor Niel Tupas Sr. who assured his safety back in his prison cell.
In an interview with the media Barranco said he was merely tempted at joining Vicente Espinosa and Mario Lozada in bolting cell 58 of the IRC in Brgy. Nanga, Pototan early morning Tuesday. Espinosa and Lozada are still being hunted by authorities.
Barranco said once outside he separated ways with Espinosa and Lozada and he does not know their whereabouts.
Barranco told reporters that he was forced to bolt the jail as he missed his five children in Brgy. Abangay, Janiuay, Iloilo.
Barranco faces a murder case and has been detained at the IRC since 1998.
He said, he decided to surrender after he learned that his family is working on settling his case with his accusers.
Meanwhile, the manhunt for the two other fugitives continues with Governor Tupas placing a P30,000 reward each to whoever who could give information leading to their arrest.
Twenty-six year-old Mario Lozada of Ipil, Calinog, Iloilo is accused in a double murder case, while 32 year-old Espinosa of Lemery, Iloilo stands accused of murder case now pending before Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 66 in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo.
IRC warden Juan Mabugat earlier said that the escapees are still within the province.
Meantime, the fate of 16 (not 15 as earlier reported) jail guards on duty last Tuesday hangs with the warden saying an "elimination process" is underway to determine those to be held most liable.
This, as Mabugat insists that it was human error and not the multi-million building itself that brought the easy escape.
To recall, the jailbreak was discovered after Tuesday's 4 a.m. headcount with the trio unaccounted for by jail guards inside cell 58 of the IRC's Area 4 in the second floor.
Initial investigation point to a guitar string that was supposedly used to finely cut through a prison bar of the cell's window.
Board Member Angelo Briones, chair of the Capitol's Committee on Public Order and Security made an ocular inspection of the jail premises Wednesday. Briones expressed surprise and wonder on the manner of the escape particularly with the supposed escape route appearing to be "nearly impossible" for anyone to go through.
"We will evaluate everything and find out what really happened here," he told reporters present for the inspection.