‘Acrobatic’ prisoner flees through CR window

By Jennifer P. Rendon 

With handcuffs still on, an inmate in the custody of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) managed to sneak out of the detention facility.

Aldrin Balintong, 40, a resident of Barangay Cadagmayan, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, fled from the CIDG custody around 10 p.m. of March 6, 2020.

The CIDG-Iloilo City office shares a building with the Iloilo City Police Station 5 in Mandurriao district.

CIDG operatives arrested Balintong around 12 p.m. of the same day at Cadagmayan village. He is facing charges for three counts of tape.

Police Major James Allen Dogao, CIDG-Iloilo City field unit chief, did not elaborate on Balintong’s case, except that he was accused of molesting a minor.

Prior to his escape, the suspect allegedly asked a CIDG officer to use the comfort room.

“May pagka-acrobatic pala sya,” Dogao said, while narrating that the suspect sneaked out of a small hole of the comfort room.

With his hands still cuffed, he got out of the window legs first.

Dogao said it was not clear how Balintong concealed his cuffed hands as he fled the area.

“He was fast. His bantay knocked on the door after just a little over 2 minutes,” he said.

When the CIDG custodian did not hear an answer, he kicked the door open but the suspect was nowhere to be seen.

They tried looking for him but the suspect was quick to leave the premises.

Dogao said they formed a tracking team and launched manhunt operations in areas where Balintong and his wife have relatives. They went to the towns of San Miguel, Leon, and Alimodian.

He was later monitored in the house of his wife’s relative in Barangay Agta, Leon until his arrest 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

The suspect claimed he used oil in removing the handcuffs.

Dogao said they will move the suspect to the detention facility of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).