By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – One of the two remaining “high-risk” persons deprived of liberty (PDL) who bolted from the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Bago City last June 28, 2021 was recaptured Friday at Sitio Nabilog, Barangay Amontay, Binalbagan town.
Recaptured was Francisco Epogon of Cauayan town, who is linked to the notorious Epogon robbery group operating in the province.
Epogon was charged for robbery with intimidation of person and robbery with homicide.
Intelligence operatives of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) led the operation against Epogon, along with other police units and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) STAR team.
Atty. Jairus Anthony Dogelio, spokesperson of BJMP-6, said the police and the BJMP tracker team responded upon receiving information that Epogon was in the area.
Dogelio said that Epogon will be subjected to tactical interrogation and swab test. He will also undergo 21-day quarantine at the isolation facility of BJMP in the province before transferring him to his jail of origin or another jail facility.
As of this writing, only one out of the five escapees remains at large.
Dogelio said that authorities continue to monitor the whereabouts of Alejandro Montoya of Victorias City, who was charged for carnapping, robbery, illegal possession of firearms, attempted homicide, and acts of lasciviousness.
Marvin Celeste and his brother Danilo, both residents of Victorias City, were killed by authorities after they reportedly resisted arrest during a manhunt operation in Murcia town and Talisay City early this month.
Daniel Tamon of Don Salvador Benedicto town was the first to be recaptured by authorities in Murcia town on June 30.
Dogelio said that the P15,000 cash reward for the recapture of Montoya remains.
RELIEVED
Meanwhile, the five jail guards who were on duty when the jail break happened at NODJ were already replaced last Thursday.
Dogelio said that these jail officers will be officially relieved from their posts effective July 26 and transferred to a BJMP facility in Guimaras.
“Gin gaan sila anay a few days to rest since ga duty pa man sila sa NODJ before the relief order came out,” he added.
Dogelio said that the investigation indicated that the jail guards committed lapses during the jailbreak.
Administrative charges for gross negligence may be filed against them, he added.
Also, Dogelio said that former NODJ warden Superintendent Pricel Arevalo was relieved from BJMP-6 and was moved to the national bureau.
