STILL MISSING. Mugshot of Panginima Alo, the only remaining escapee among the five inmates who bolted the Parang municipal jail in Maguindanao del Norte on Saturday (May 18, 2024). The other four were arrested the following day. (File photo courtesy of PRO-BAR)
PARANG, Maguindanao Norte – Four of the five inmates who bolted the detention facility of the municipal police station here over the weekend have been rearrested, police said Monday.
Brig. Gen. Prexy Tanggawohn, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), said the four escapees were rearrested one after another during a pursuit operation on Sunday.
“Only one inmate, Panginiwa Alo alias Ali Taher, who is facing murder charges, remains at large,” Tanggawohn said in a statement.
A relative of one of the escapees was arrested after she was seen on closed circuit television bringing in a hacksaw blade a day before the escape on Saturday dawn.
Tanggawohn said the five inmates sawed off the grills of the lock-up cell.
Also under investigation are police officers on duty during the escape, he added.
Lt. Col. Christopher Cabugwang, Parang police chief, was relieved of his post, and replaced by Lt. Col. Erwin Tabora in an acting capacity.
Meanwhile, Anwar Alamada, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace, security and reconciliation officer, denied that the remaining escapee is hiding in one of their camps.
Alamada stressed that the MILF does not give shelter to law offenders, as contained in their peace agreement with the government.
Tanggawohn appealed to the public to provide the police with information that will help rearrest the fugitive.
“Ensuring the safety and security of our communities remain our top priority, and we will continue our efforts until all fugitives are brought back to prison,” he said. (PNA)
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