Police shoot dead 3 prisoners as 14 escape jail in the Philippines

Three inmates were shot dead and one wounded when 14 prisoners managed to escape from a jail in Jolo of Sulu province in the Philippines on Sunday (16 July).

The incident took place at around 1.25am local time (6.25pm BST) less than seven hours after President Rodrigo Duterte visited the province to award medals to soldiers wounded in a clash with Abu Sayyaf militants.

According to provincial police chief senior superintendent Mario Buyuccan, Jolo is a base of the Abu Sayyaf kidnap-for-ransom group and some of the inmates are linked to the militants.

"They cut the bars of the jail and jumped from the second floor to the roof of the municipal hall building next door. Our troops responded and the inmates were killed and wounded in hot pursuit operations," AFP quoted Buyuccan as saying.

"Some inmates are associated with the membership of the Abu Sayyaf," he said.

Buyuccan identified the slain inmates as Julbig Alinjani, Budda Basali and Midzfar Sabli and the wounded as Gummi Maimbung.

Security forces have announced a manhunt for the remaining 10 prisoners. Buyuccan said that the majority of the 32 inmates detained at the facility faced drug charges.

Workers kidnapped

Meanwhile, four workers at a grade school in Patikul of Sulu were kidnapped by suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen hours before Duterte's visit to the province.

About 20 heavily-armed bandits barged into the school compound and kidnapped five painters and carpenters, one of whom managed to escape and alert the police.

The raid took place at about 1am local time (6pm BST) on Saturday. The kidnappers were demanding a ransom of $20,000 (£15264.00) each for the release of the hostages, police said on Sunday.