A job well done

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

Thirteen proved to be a really unlucky number for them all.

On April 17, thirteen inmates bolted from the Silay City jail and swiftly fled into various parts of the city and province, after successfully overcoming their jail guard.

The 13 inmates had been detained for serious crimes ranging from murder, frustrated murder, drugs, physical injuries, to rape.

Immediately, the Sagay police and other units of the Philippine National Police in Negros Occidental, joined the officers of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, in launching manhunt operations for the capture of the fugitives. The jail warden and two jail officers were ordered relieved from their posts even as the hunt for the escapees went on. Rewards for the information on the whereabouts of the escapees were also announced.

The combined efforts of various agencies in the search for the escapees apparently worked, because, in just a little over a week, the fugitives had all been accounted for, some by actual capture, others through tips from concerned citizens, and others from voluntary surrenders, upon the advice of family members.

The end of the road for the last two fugitives came last night with their surrender through the help of barangay officials in Fabrica, Sagay.

So, as of this writing, all 13 had been “accounted for”, as they say in police parlance.

Just as swiftly as it had ordered the relief of the jail officers after the jailbreak, police officials also were quick to recognize and award the police officers who had worked to round up their quarries. Philippine National Police Chief, Director General Alan Purisima no less, presented the Medalya ng Kagalingan (efficiency medal) to the officers involved.

So all is well that ends well, and it is to be hoped that other police officers in the country will also display similar determination and single-mindedness to always “get their man”.

Congratulations to them all.*