Manila jail break guard 'asleep'

Escaped fugitive Al-Ghozi was serving a 17-year sentence

As the search continues for three terror suspects who escaped a high-security jail in the Philippines, four policemen have been charged with serious dereliction of duty over the incident.

Police admitted that one guard was asleep and another was "out shopping" when Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, an suspected Indonesian militant, and two Filipinos fled the Manila jail on Monday.

There were no signs of a forced breakout, and President Gloria Arroyo said on Thursday that it was "highly probable" that police corruption was behind the escape.

An inquiry into the incident has been launched, and Ms Arroyo said she was making no excuses for the problem of corruption plaguing the Philippine National Police (PNP).

"I call on the entire PNP leadership to shape up or ship out, and I will not hesitate to undertake a top-to-bottom revamp if no results are forthcoming," she said on Thursday.

Convicted bomb expert

Despite a huge search operation, none of the three fugitives have been sighted since they left the jail.

Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi is a convicted bomb-maker and suspected member of the militant group Jemaah Islamiah.

He had been serving a 17-year prison term for illegally acquiring more than a tonne of explosives and obtaining passports fraudulently.

Police said he had also admitted to a string of deadly bombings in Manila in December 2000, which killed 22 people and injured more than 120.

The two Philippine nationals who escaped with al-Ghozi - Abdul Edris and Merang Abante - are thought to be members of the Islamic militant group Abu Sayyaf.

The incident has been a source of intense international embarrassment for the Philippines.

Both the United States and Australia have publicly expressed disappointment over al-Ghozi's escape, and the incident has damaged the nation's reputation as a reliable ally in the war against terrorism.

The breakout came on the day Ms Arroyo hosted Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who pledged money for counter-terrorism efforts.

Mr Howard said the incident "underlines for all of us the need to be vigilant and to strengthen our institutional capacity to deal effectively with terrorism".