BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Following the discovery of attempts by some inmates to escape from the Bacolod City Police Office Station 8 custodial facility, the police has suspended all visits to the inmates until further notice.
This was after policemen thwarted an attempt by some inmates to flee from the custodial facility, after an inspection of the jail on May 14.
PMaj. Joery Puerto, Police Station 8 commander, said that they discovered that inmates were trying to saw away at the steel bars on top of the custodial facility ceiling.
Puerto noted that eight of the 16mm steel bars had already been removed.
While they were not able to recover the saw, Puerto said he believes it was smuggled in by relatives of the inmates.
While the visits have been suspended, Puerto disclosed that relatives of the inmates will still be allowed to bring food.
But it will be surrendered to the desk officer for a thorough inspection, he added.
Most of the 25 detained inmates at Police Station 8 custodial facility, which has a maximum capacity of 10 persons, are facing drug-related charges, according to Puerto.
To compensate for the high number of prisoners in the cell, the police station allowed the inmates to use hammocks to give additional room for the occupants.
Puerto said he suspects that the inmates were using the prayer vigil, which is conducted every night at 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., in order to mask the noise generated by the sawing.
The hammocks, meanwhile, offer concealment for the inmates to saw away the steel bars, he added.
This prompted the police to remove the hammocks.*
