Philippines jail stormed by armed men, hundreds of prisoners escape

Updated

Authorities in the Philippines are hunting for more than 100 prisoners who escaped a jail on the island of Mindanao last night, after armed men stormed the facility.

The late-night breakout occurred in Kidapawan City, near President Rodrigo Duterte's home town of Davao.

Six of the 158 escapees were killed in firefights with pursuing police and army troops, while eight others were caught and returned to the facility, said senior inspector Xavier Solda, spokesman for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Army troops and police were searching for the others.

Inspector Solda said the heavily armed gunmen emerged from a forest and attacked the North Cotabato District Jail in Kidapawan under the cover of darkness.

Prison officials said the majority of inmates escaped from the back of the jail as guards were fighting off attackers at the front.

Kidapawan police chief Superintendent Leo Ajero said gunfire continued for hours after the attack as army troops and police, some in armoured tanks, hunted through the surrounding forests for the escaped inmates and the gunmen who freed them.

Acting Provincial Jail Warden Superintendent Peter John Bongngat said the attackers were suspected to include members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and guerrillas who broke away from the main Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has signed a peace deal with the Government.

'We heard the gunfire and we sprang into action'

Local village leader Alexander Austria said he and his men captured one of the men.

He said the exchanges of gunfire woke his village, which was several kilometres from the prison, and he immediately posted guards because of worries the attackers and escaped inmates could enter the village.

"We heard the gunfire and we sprang into action to guard our village," Mr Austria said.

"We were afraid the escapees could try to enter our village to hide or take hostages."

The jail held more than 1,500 inmates.

Philippines prisons had a major overcrowding problem even before Mr Duterte began his brutal crackdown on drug users and alleged dealers.

AP

Topics: crime, law-crime-and-justice, unrest-conflict-and-war, philippines

First posted</s>More than 100 suspected Muslim rebels have stormed a jail in the southern Philippines, killing a guard and allowing 158 inmates to escape, officials said.

Six of the inmates were killed in firefights with pursuing police and army troops, while eight others have been caught and were being returned to the facility, said Senior Inspector Xavier Solda, spokesman for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Initial reports suggested that the gunmen responsible for Wednesday's jailbreak were linked to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), officials said.

The attackers opened fire at guards at the North Cotabato District Jail in Kidapawan city around 1am, prison warden Peter Bongat told a local radio station.

OPINION: Philippines' peace process in tatters

The jail held 1,511 inmates at the time, he said.

"When the attack came, according to the report of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, it was a two-hour firefight" said Dionardo Carlos, Philippine National Police Spokesperson.

"The jail guards were trying to stop the attackers and then our police responded," he said at a press conference.

"Unfortunately, because of the commotion, some inmates escaped using a wooden ladder that they stuck to the wall at the back portion of the jail."

No claim of responsibility

Unconfirmed reports by Filipino officials suggested that the raid was carried out by Satar Mandalondong, a MILF commander. But the MILF group has not claimed responsibility for the jailbreak.

The MILF is the largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines and it is based in the southern region of Mindanao. The group demands more autonomy for the Moro people.

The predominantly Catholic Southeast Asian nation has, for four decades, been fighting rebels in its southern islands.

Wednesday's incident was the latest of several mass escapes from poorly secured Philippine jails, with the incidents often involving southern rebels.

In August, another rebel group called Maute staged a jailbreak in the southern Philippines, freeing 23 detainees.

About 50 heavily armed members of the group raided the local jail in the southern city of Marawi on Mindanao island and freed eight of their members who were arrested a week earlier, police said.

READ MORE: Philippines signs deal with Muslim rebels

In 2009, more than 100 armed men raided a jail in the strife-torn southern island of Basilan, freeing 31 prisoners including several rebel fighters.

The conflict between the rebels and the state in the southern Philippines has left more than 120,000 people dead in the last four decades.

President Rodrigo Duterte is pursuing peace talks with the largest armed Muslim groups, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the MILF.

Smaller bands like the Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf group are not covered by the ceasefires and are not part of the peace process.</s>Armed men with links to Muslim rebels stormed a prison early on Wednesday in the southern Philippines, killing a guard and freeing more than a 150 inmates, police said.

[MANILA] Armed men with links to Muslim rebels stormed a prison early on Wednesday in the southern Philippines, killing a guard and freeing more than a 150 inmates, police said.

The South-east Asian nation has for decades been plagued by insurgencies by Muslim rebels in its southern islands, with President Rodrigo Duterte seeking to promote broad peace in the predominantly Catholic country.

The gunmen opened fire at guards at the North Cotabato District Jail in Kidapawan city around 1:00am (1700 GMT), prison warden Peter Bongat told a local radio station.

Of the jail's 1,511 inmates, 158 managed to escape and four were recaptured, he said.

"It's well planned. Escapees used blanket as their getaway...We have a manhunt operation," said Mr Bongat.

The rebel commander belonged to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) based on initial information, Mr Bongat said.

In 2014, the government signed a peace deal with the MILF, the biggest Muslim rebel group but clashes still occur with smaller groups.</s>Gee, when you read of these prison attacks to break inmates free, what is the common thread?

At least 132 inmates have fled the prison in the city of Kidapawan, Philippines following a gunman attack on Wednesday, local media reported.

At least one North Cotabato District Jail guard has been killed in the attack which took place at 1:16 a.m. (17:16 GMT Tuesday), CNN Philippines reported. Prison authorities believe that a breakaway group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was behind the attack. The Philippine government is mired in a decades-long standoff with insurgents from the MILF Muslim minority group which seeks greater autonomy from the central government.</s>At least 132 inmates have fled the prison in the city of Kidapawan, Philippines following a gunman attack on Wednesday, local media reported.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — At least one North Cotabato District Jail guard has been killed in the attack which took place at 1:16 a.m. (17:16 GMT Tuesday), CNN Philippines reported.

Prison authorities believe that a breakaway group of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was behind the attack.</s>The Philippine army is helping hunt for more than 100 prisoners who escaped a jail on the island of Mindanao last night, after armed men stormed the facility.

The late-night breakout occurred in Kidapawan City, near President Rodrigo Duterte's home town of Davao.

One prison guard was shot and killed during the raid and an inmate was wounded in the gun battle.

Kidapawan police chief Superintendent Leo Ajero said two prisoners of the 132 who escaped had been recaptured, and army troops and police were searching for the others.

Prison officials said the majority of inmates escaped from the back of the jail as guards were fighting off attackers at the front.

Mindanao has a long history of insurgency by both communist and Islamist rebels, but authorities are not saying who is behind the attack on the prison.

Local village leader Alexander Austria said he and his men captured one of the men.

He said the exchanges of gunfire woke his village, which was several kilometres from the prison, and he immediately posted guards because of worries the attackers and escaped inmates could enter the village.

"We heard the gunfire and we sprang into action to guard our village," Mr Austria said.

"We were afraid the escapees could try to enter our village to hide or take hostages."

The jail held more than 1,500 inmates.

Philippines prisons had a major overcrowding problem even before Mr Duterte began his brutal crackdown on drug users and alleged dealers.</s>MANILA (Reuters) - Armed men with links to Muslim rebels stormed a prison early on Wednesday in the southern Philippines, killing a guard and freeing more than a 150 inmates, police said.

The Southeast Asian nation has for decades been plagued by insurgencies by Muslim rebels in its southern islands, with President Rodrigo Duterte seeking to promote broad peace in the predominantly Catholic country.

The gunmen opened fire at guards at the North Cotabato District Jail in Kidapawan city around 1:00 a.m. (1700 GMT), prison warden Peter Bongat told a local radio station.

Of the jail's 1,511 inmates, 158 managed to escape and four were recaptured, he said.

"It's well planned. Escapees used blanket as their getaway...We have a manhunt operation," said Bongat.

The rebel commander belonged to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) based on initial information, Bongat said.

In 2014, the government signed a peace deal with the MILF, the biggest Muslim rebel group but clashes still occur with smaller groups.</s>KIDAPAWAN, Philippines – More than 130 inmates have escaped in one of the largest jailbreaks in recent years after suspected Muslim rebels attacked a jail in the southern Philippines before dawn on Wednesday, officials said.

Jail warden Superintendent Peter Bongat said a guard was killed and an inmate was wounded in a gunbattle when dozens of gunmen stormed the North Cotabato District Jail in Kidapawan. The city is in Cotabato Province.

READ MORE: Philippines’ Duterte threatens to throw corrupt officials out of a helicopter

Kidapawan police chief Superintendent Leo Ajero said two prisoners of the 132 who escaped had been recaptured, and army troops and police were searching for the others. The jail held more than 1,500 inmates.

Local village leader Alexander Austria told The Associated Press by telephone that he and his men captured one of the men.

He said the exchanges of gunfire woke his village, which was several kilometres from the prison, and he immediately posted guards because of worries the attackers and escaped inmates could enter the village.

READ MORE: Philippines’ Duterte says he personally patrolled streets looking for criminals to kill

“We heard the gunfire and we sprang into action to guard our village,” Austria said.

“We were afraid the escapees could try to enter our village to hide or take hostages.”</s>(CNN) -- A manhunt continues in the Philippines after an armed raid led to a mass prison escape.

As many as 158 inmates fled the North Cotabato District Jail in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippines early Wednesday after armed men attacked the compound, according to Xavier Solda, the spokesman for the Philippines Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

Around 1:15 a.m. local time (12.15 p.m. Tuesday ET) more than 100 armed men attacked the facility, he said. The firefight lasted two hours. One jail officer was killed and another was injured during the conflict.

The inmates escaped through the back portion of the jail as the firefight raged, Solda said. Fourteen men have since been apprehended and six have been killed, he told CNN. Two inmates have voluntarily surrendered. The jail's latest recorded population is 1,511 inmates.

Acting Provincial Jail Warden Supt. Peter John Bongngat Jr. told CNN affiliate CNN Philippines that members of the breakaway Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) group were suspected of being responsible for the attack.

He said some of the escapees were affiliated with the group, which is fighting for an an autonomous region for Muslims in the southern island of Mindanao, home to a sizable Muslim population, in this mainly Catholic country.

"(The escapees) are mostly our Muslim brothers and most of them are (MILF) members," he told CNN Philippines. "But the others likely just went along with the jailbreak."

Bongngat told CNN Philippines that the regional branch of the Philippines National Police (PNP) had provided intelligence that an attack was being planned for New Year's Day.

"We were given intelligence reports (on) December 30," he told CNN Philippines. "We had a conference with the provincial director of the PNP (Philippine National Police) North Cotabato, together with the battalion commander of the Philippine Army," he said.

"And we were prepared because we were expecting that they will attack us on the evening of New Year," Bongngat added. "So all security personnel from the PNP, the BJMP and the Philippine Army were readily prepared for that eventuality."

A clearing operation continues around the jail involving members of the Philippines Special Action Force, the army and the BJMP Special Tactics and Response team, the press release said.</s>Around 100 armed men with links to Muslim rebels stormed a prison in the southern Philippines on Wednesday, killing a guard and freeing more than 150 prisoners, some of them Islamic militants, officials said.

The Southeast Asian, majority Roman Catholic nation has for decades been plagued by insurgency by Muslim rebels in its southern islands.

The gunmen opened fire at guards at the North Cotabato District Jail in Kidapawan, prison warden Peter Bongat said on radio. Of the jail’s 1,511 inmates, 158 managed to escape, he said.

Eight prisoners had since been caught, two had surrendered, while six were killed, according to the office of the president.

Shirlyn Macasarte, acting governor of North Cotabato, said her office had been tipped off about the plan by the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) to free its members as early as the second quarter of last year.

“They were involved in murders and at the same time I think they have experience in bomb making so we watched them closely,” Macasarte told news channel ANC.

The leader of the attackers, known by the alias Commander Derbie, had links with the BIFF, a splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Macasarte said.

Some members of the MILF and BIFF were said to be behind the killing of 44 police commandos in a secret mission two years ago to capture a Malaysian bomb maker with a $5 million bounty from the US State Department on his head.

In 2014, the government signed a peace deal with the MILF, the biggest Muslim rebel group, but clashes still occur with smaller groups.
More than 100 prisoners escape in the Philippines after armed suspected Muslim rebels storm a prison in Kidapawan. A prison guard dies.