The head of the Philippines' national police force says at least three officers under his control have been implicated in the escape of a senior Jemaah Islamiah figure from a Manila jail.
The breakout comes on the same day Australian Prime Minister John Howard pledged $5 million to help Filipino police counter terrorist activities in the country.
Manila police have launched a manhunt for Indonesian national Fathur Rohman Al Ghozi and two Filipino militants after their escape from a supposedly high-security cell inside the national police headquarters in Manila.
A self-confessed top official in Jemaah Islamiah, Al Ghozi is the main suspect in a thwarted plan to bomb western targets in Singapore, including the Australian High Commission.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/justin/nat/newsnat-15jul2003-7.htm