MANILA — Eight out of 10 inmates who escaped from the Batangas Provincial Jail on Monday morning were recaptured within hours in a swift, drone-assisted operation by the Batangas Provincial Police Office (BPPO), authorities said.

According to the Police Regional Office 4A (Calabarzon), the escape occurred around 10 a.m. while the inmates were being escorted to a public utility room. One of the inmates allegedly pointed an ice pick at a jail guard and seized his service firearm, allowing several detainees to flee toward Barangay Quilo in Ibaan, Batangas.

BPPO spokesperson Lt. Col. Aleli Buaquen said three escapees were recaptured in Barangay Quilo by 10:20 a.m., just 20 minutes after the jailbreak.

“The BPPO launched a comprehensive manhunt, leveraging cutting-edge technology to track the escapees. Crucially, the deployment of drones provided real-time aerial surveillance, significantly accelerating the search and apprehension efforts,” the BPPO said in a statement.

Five more escapees were arrested at around 1:30 p.m. aboard a northbound bus on the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (Star Tollway), near the boundary of Tanauan and Santo Tomas cities. The bus was intercepted during a checkpoint operation.

“With strategic negotiation and firm police presence, our personnel were able to convince the escapees to peacefully surrender, preventing any untoward incident and ensuring the safety of other passengers,” the BPPO added.

Recovered from the escapees were a 9mm pistol, 16 live rounds of ammunition, two magazines, a balisong (bladed weapon), and ₱59,673 in cash.

A pursuit operation is ongoing to locate the remaining two escapees, police said. (PNA)