Ten prisoners, six of whom are facing drug charges, escaped from the Malibay police station in Pasay City as three cohorts cut the metal grills and grabbed the key from the duty jailer, police said.

Maj. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo, National Capital Region police director, relieved the police station's chief, Maj. Gerry Sunga as investigation is ongoing.

Brig. Gen. Kirby John Kraft, Southern Police District director, formed teams to hunt the escapees. Five have been recovered by police, with one collared in Taytay, Rizal.

A bounty of P130,000 was put up for the capture of the remaining prisoners.

According to Capt. Mamerto Gorne Jr., deputy commander of Malibay Police Station, said the jailbreak occurred around 4:30 am.

Gorne said the jail guard was beaten up by the inmates, one of whom got his grabbed his firearm.

Gorne explained that because of Holy Week, most of the police were deployed in bus terminals.

In another interview, Capt. Ryan Marcelo, public information officer of the Pasay Police, said the escapees will face a case of evasion of sentence. DMS/Eric Acidre