KORONADAL CITY – September 15, 2025- Newly installed Provincial Warden Ret. PLtCol. Barney P. Condes, RN confirmed in a press conference that a person deprived of liberty (PDL) escaped from the South Cotabato Provincial Jail on September 13, prompting a full investigation and personnel shake-up.
Condes said a list of jail guards on duty during the escape has already been submitted to the Provincial Government Office.
Job order personnel were removed from their posts, while regular officers were reassigned.
“We immediately conducted an assessment, and we saw several lapses in the guarding of our facilities. That is why we had to act quickly,” Condes said.
Recovery operations are ongoing, with barangay officials and police units in Surallah and Lake Sebu assisting in locating the fugitive.
Initial findings revealed multiple security lapses, including a defective and unlocked padlock, a recovered blade, and a piece of concrete block inside the cell. Investigators found that the PDL knocked out the dilapidated cell door, climbed up the unfinished administration building, and jumped over the perimeter fence to escape.
Condes noted that some jail personnel were not performing their duties properly.
“There are personnel who are not doing their jobs well, and that contributed to what happened,” he stressed.
The warden also pointed out structural deficiencies in the facility, which he began addressing on the day he assumed office. He added that he had anticipated possible sabotage during the turnover of his position as irregularities and illegal activities inside the jail were expected to surface.
“The very day I assumed office, I already managed to straighten some irregularities. I was expecting sabotage because there are things here that needed to be corrected,” Condes said.
The investigation is ongoing while search operations continue to recover the escaped detainee.
