World | Philippines
Coup plotters escape from military prison
Four young Philippine army officers facing mutiny charges in civilian and military courts escaped from a detention centre at a military camp in the capital, security officials said on yesterday.
- Reuters
- Published: 00:00 January 18, 2006
Manila: Four young Philippine army officers facing mutiny charges in civilian and military courts escaped from a detention centre at a military camp in the capital, security officials said on yesterday.
Major Bartolome Bacarro, an army spokesman, said prison guards realised two captains and two lieutenants were missing from their cells at Fort Bonifacio, near Manila's business district, at about 9pm (1300 GMT).
"The president has ordered the military to exert all efforts to recapture the fugitive officers," Bacarro said in a statement.
An army intelligence officer told Reuters the four officers scaled the barbed wire fence of the centre by stacking up chairs just hours before a routine headcount.
Army version doubted
Lawyers for the fugitives said they doubted the army's account of the escape because the four were complaining of a plan to move them to a maximum security prison cell without any prior written order from the military or the civilian court.
The Philippine military said the four officers were among 30 captains and lieutenants accused of mutiny charges, a criminal offence punishable by death or life imprisonment.
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