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CPDRC 2004 Hostage Taking, Strike, and Aborted Jailbreak
In December 26, 2004 on or about 5:30PM militant CPDRC inmates stormed the dormitory for minors and took 56 minor inmates as hostages for their planned mass jailbreak. They were able to break 2 of the 4 line of defense at CPDRC. Warning shots were fired by jail guards to stop them from breaking gates 3 and 4. Shortly after the SWAT team from Cebu City arrived and were able to hold the inmates from passing through the line of defense. The inmates then brought the minor inmates to dormitory 1 at the compound and locked them there. Governor Gwen Garcia upon learning of the incident called Byron who was in Ormoc City with his family at that time and authorized him to head the Crisis Management Team. Byron, with no available ship to ferry him to Cebu City immediately hired a small motorized boat at around 11:00 Pm and and proceeded to Cebu City and arrived around 7:00 AM in the morning. The first order Byron issued was a news blackout, cut all telephone lines from CPDRC and prevent media from entering CPDRC. Photos of this event was taken by Sunstar photographer Alex Badayos outside the jail. Media was later on allowed inside after the inmates were subdued.
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Breaking the Strike and rescue of the minors
After all preparations for breaking the strike and rescue of the minors were made, at exactly 1:30PM of December 27, 2004 when the Civil Disturbance Management of the Regional Mobile Group of the Philippine National Police were sent inside the compound, the inmates were subdued and were forced to go back to their cells. The carefully planned rescue of the minors was also successful.
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Transfer to the new facility
Included in the Plan was to transfer the inmates to the new facility after they are subdued. Byron recommended it to the Governor to prevent a similar crisis. Although the new facility was still 80% complete, it could hold the inmates already. The transfer of the CPDRC inmates from the old CPDRC to its new location was considered to be the largest movement of inmates in the history of the Philippines since the Bataan Death March in World War II. After the success of the transfer, Byron was tasked by the Governor to oversee the operations of the new CPDRC.
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