STO. TOMAS City, Batangas – AT least five of the eight persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who reportedly escaped from the Batangas Provincial Rehabilitation and Detention Facility in Ibaan were apprehended by the responding team of Sto. Tomas Component City Police Station in a follow up operation a little past noon, Monday, July 28.
In a report obtained by BNN, the Sto. Tomas Component City Police Station received a verified information that five (5) escapees from the Batangas Provincial Jail in Brgy. Malainin, Ibaan, Batangas had boarded an ALPS Bus bearing body number E-7087 and plate number NCI 9962, traveling northbound via the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Star Tollway.
Acting swiftly on the report, personnel of said police station led by PLtCol Marlon C. Cbatan, Officer in Charge, immediately launched a hot pursuit and interdiction operation in coordination with other units. The said bus was flagged down at the northbound lane of Star Tollway near the boundary of Tanauan and Sto. Tomas City.
With strategic negotiation and firm police presence, said personnel were able to convince the escapees to peacefully surrender, preventing any untoward incident and ensuring the safety of other passengers.
The escapees were identified as Armando Jr. Tanauan Mangabat, Norman Ramorez Antonio, Dennis Penuela Esmeralda, Michael Malijan Malasigue, and Lester Angeles Bengoa.
Recovered from the possession of the arrested individuals include:
• One (1) unit caliber 9mm Llama pistol, with serial number 71-04-01465-99
• Sixteen (16) live ammunition of caliber 9mm
• Two (2) magazines for caliber 9mm
• One (1) balisong (bladed weapon)
• Philippine currency amounting to ₱59,673.00 in different denominations
• Several assorted keys
The five arrested escapees were then brought to the Sto. Tomas Component City Police Station for proper documentation and subsequent turnover to the concerned custodial authority.| – Joenald Medina Rayos
