Warden tightens watch at IRC

By Florence F. Hibionada, correspondent

Security will even be tightened and custody of the inmates at the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC) will now go through more stringent set of ‘safekeeping' rules.

In fact, efforts to secure the premises and the over 700 inmates in IRC detention will be doubled, preventing future easy escapes and jailbreak.

Such was the assurance of retired Police Supt. Juan Mabugat, IRC warden following Monday's capture of murder suspect Jerry Sufficencia, the last of the three escapees to be accounted for.

And the problem in the three previous incidents, Supt. Mabugat acknowledged, fell on jail security provided by the provincial guards and not on the IRC building and structure. One matter that he is bent on improving if not totally change.

The tighter watch is very much needed, the warden added saying if presented the opportunity, Sufficencia and other inmates will still make an attempt to dash for freedom.

“As long as he (Sufficencia) has the chance and not only him, I know he and the others will try to escape,” Supt. Mabugat said in a The News Today interview.

Sufficencia has since been placed on isolation with details of his escape and arrest baring yet more new information. TNT learned that the comebacking IRC inmate made good of his escape with no inside help contrary to earlier speculations that he had cohorts amongst the jail guards.

And once outside and enjoying his temporary freedom, Supt. Mabugat said Sufficencia got hold of previous contacts that ultimately led to that botched robbery-hold-up plan in Dumarao, Capiz.

“Yes it is true that he was in the area of Barangay Gebato in Dumarao but after the cellphone snatching incident there that alerted the authorities and reached our attention, he was forced to leave the place,” he further disclosed.