4 escapees surrender to police

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The four escapees of Police Station 3 here surrendered after almost two days of hiding.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Pico, public information officer of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), and Police Major Ruel Culanag, Station 3 commander, presented the jailbirds to the media at the police station Wednesday.

Pico said Ely Lorence Sazon, 20, of Barangay Banago here was the first to surrender at the police station around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday with help from Radyo Bandera team.

After an hour and a half, Sunny Capa, 22, also surrendered to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Negros Occidental around 7 p.m.

Michael Peñoso, 24, of Barangay 2 also surrendered to Bombo Radyo around 10:30 p.m. while Jeffrey Elangos, 38, of Barangay Banago surrendered to a member of the Bacolod City Mobile Safety Force around 4 a.m. yesterday.

Pico said Peñoso and Elangos went to their relatives in San Enrique town after escaping while Capa and Sazon went home.

They met a friend who gave them money for their transportation that day, he added.

Pico said the four surrendered out of fear following reports of the massive manhunt operation against them.

He said Elangos allegedly initiated the escape plan after they found a saw blade in the adjacent custodial facility.

“It took them a week to cut the iron bar, but three other detainees at the jail did not go with them because of fear,” he added.

He said the families of the escapees also helped the police in urging them to surrender.

He said additional charges for malicious mischief will be filed against them depending on the discretion of the prosecutor.

Due to the incident, tight security is being implemented at the police station and additional iron bars were placed at the facility to prevent the recurrence of the incident.

Meanwhile, Pico said that Police Lieutenant Vergel Valdepeña, deputy police chief was relieved from his post effective January 7, following the jail break which occurred while he was the supervisor of the station that day.