THE heat, fetid odor and cramped space drove five inmates to escape their cell at the Compostela police precinct last Friday morning.
The alleged mastermind of the escape, Nelson Agbay, surrendered to the Compostela police after being convinced by his wife yesterday.
Joel Cuyos, one of five escaped inmates who surrendered to police later in the day after being convinced by family, said he can only sleep three to four hours inside a cell built to house eight inmates but is occupied by 38 people.
Cuyos, who was arrested on charges of illegal drug possession, said it was past 2 a.m. on Friday when he was awakened by the noise of the four inmates trying to cut the iron grills of their cell.
His fellow escapees Joseph Pio Mahinay and Rubin Catipay also said they cannot endure the cramped space of their cell.
Mahinay was arrested in Ubay, Liloan town while Catipay was caught in one of the mountain barangays in Compostela.
“Init gyud kaayo,, mam, morag di nami kaginhawa. Mora mig mamatay sa kahuot namo ug kakapoy sa among nahimutangan (It’s so hot there, we cannot breathe. It felt like we would die in the cramped space and we’re tired of our situation),” Mahinay said.
The fourth escapee, Giovanni Tapayan, was intercepted in Barangay Lusaran in Balamban town last Saturday morning.
Tapayan said he broke out because he missed his family. Tapayan faces a non-bailable drug case.
All four men pointed to Agbay, who faces gambling charges, as having masterminded the escape.
Catipay said Agbay’s wife gave him an iron hacksaw to use in breaking the iron grills.
The four inmates apologized to SPO2 Jaime Maroliña, who was on duty during the jailbreak, and Senior Insp. Romeo Caacoy, Compostela police precinct chief, for escaping.
Caacoy said they called on the CPDRC if they can accommodate the four inmates.
He said they added two vertical bars to prevent inmates from breaking out. Caacoy also said Agbay supposedly signified plans to surrender./Correspondent D. Dumaboc