Espinosa killer in prison break yields

By Tarra Quismundo, Johana Vi E. Gasga
Inquirer Southern Luzon
First Posted 03:21:00 07/02/2009

Filed Under: Prison, Crime


FOR ONE murder convict, escape was as casual as jogging out of jail.

A former vice mayor of Masbate City bolted the provincial jail where he was serving quadruple life terms for killing former Masbate Representative Moises Espinosa Sr. in 1989 by simply extending his morning exercise routine outside the facility, and jogging to a friend’s house.

Florencio “Jun” Fernandez shared his flight plan to reporters at Camp Crame in Quezon City yesterday, a day after he surrendered to former Masbate Governor Rainier Butalid, who, in turn, informed Camp Crame officials. The convict cited threats to his life.

“They allow me every 4:30 a.m. to go outside the gate, then I jog near the justice hall (adjacent building). I just continued until I reached the street, and then I jogged until I reached my friend’s house,” Fernandez said in a press conference at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters Wednesday.

Fernandez fled from prison at around 4:34 a.m. on June 22 and moved around the houses of five friends in Masbate City while trying to evade a regionwide hunt by police and jail officials.

Police requested Air Force helicopters to bring the fugitive from the Masbate airport, where Espinosa was killed 10 years ago. He took a Cebu Pacific flight to Manila.

“This is a celebrated case … and if I remember right, the [Espinosa] ambush was also in the Masbate airport itself and we also know of incidents happening in Masbate specially the involvement of [communist insurgents],” said PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa.

Fernandez told reporters that he escaped because the Espinosa family wanted to get back at him. The killing happened amid bitter rivalry among the Espinosa and Fernandez political families in the province.

“All I know is they want me dead as retribution for what happened to their relative,” Fernandez said.

Mario Espinosa, former presidential assistant for Bicol affairs and son of the slain Espinosa, expressed surprise over the VIP treatment given to Fernandez.