The Philppine government is either totally inept or complicit. Probably both:
MANILA, Philippines — An official says dozens of suspected Islamic militants stormed a jail in the volatile southern Philippines, freeing 31 inmates in a nighttime attack that sparked a gunbattle in which two people were killed.
Vice Governor Al Rasheed Sakalahul of Basilan island says about 30 gunmen destroyed a concrete wall and then barged into the provincial jail in Isabela city before dawn Sunday to free several detained Muslim guerrillas, adding that other inmates also dashed to freedom.
Police say at least 31 inmates escaped, including suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a large Muslim rebel group engaged in peace talks with the government.
Sakalahul says the jail assault sparked a brief clash that killed one attacker and a jail guard.
Related Links:
Philippine Muslim Clan Killed at Least 200
Fighting erupts in Philippines province under martial law
Moro Muslims, Philippines hope to sign peace deal by 2010
Thailand detains plane with weapons cache from N.Korea
Here’s an update from AP vie JW, which is better:
Philippines: Massive prison raid frees “high-risk” jihadists
“30 gunmen had used sledgehammers to break through the jail’s concrete perimeter wall before using bolt-cutters to cut through padlocks on cell doors.”
That had to take some time. An investigation is indeed in order. “Islamists flee Philippines prison after militants’ raid,” from BBC News, December 13:
A group of suspected Islamic militants have attacked a jail in the southern Philippines, freeing at least 31 prisoners, prison officials say.
Two people, including a prison guard, are believed to have been killed during a gunfight as the prisoners escaped.
Basilan island’s Vice Governor Al Rasheed Sakalahul told the Associated Press the gunmen had wanted to free Muslim guerrillas held in the jail.
He said other inmates had also escaped during the attack early on Sunday.
Mr Sakalahul said about
One of the prison guards was killed and another injured during the ensuing clash, provincial police chief Abubakar Tulawie told Reuters news agency.
‘High-risk prisoners’
Regional military commander Maj Gen Benjamin Dolorfino told AP the 31 who escaped included suspected members of a Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf), and suspected militants from the Abu Sayyaf group.
Two Milf rebels accused of beheading a dozen soldiers on Basilan island in 2007 were among them.
“Those two rebel leaders are high-risk prisoners,” Mr Tulawie said.
“We have organised a team together with the military units on the island to pursue them.
“We’ve started an internal inquiry to determine responsibility for the lax security in the jail.”
The escape came just hours before the country’s Defence Secretary Norberto Gonzales was due to arrive on the island, which is 550 miles (880km) south of Manila.
He is facing calls for emergency rule to be declared on the island because of Islamist violence.
The jail, located in the provincial capital, Isabela city, has a history of jailbreaks…
