The Batangas Police Provincial Office confirmed Tuesday the successful recapture of 10 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) who escaped from the Batangas Provincial Jail.
Acting provincial director PCOL Geovanny Emerick Sibalo said the escapees were arrested within 24 hours through coordinated police operations involving multiple stations and support units.
The jailbreak occurred when a detainee threatened a jail guard with an improvised weapon and seized his service firearm, allowing nine others to escape.
Three were caught early in Ibaan with the help of drone surveillance. Five others were intercepted on a northbound bus on STAR Tollway, while the remaining two were apprehended through thermal drone tracking and rapid deployment.
Governor Vilma Santos-Recto praised the swift police action and ordered a review of jail security protocols. She said the provincial government is also investigating personnel accountability and procedural lapses.
