Overview:
Another reported inmate escape has placed Palau’s Bureau of Public Safety under renewed scrutiny, as authorities remain silent on how the incident occurred or what charges the inmate was serving. The escape comes amid a year of serious security failures, deaths and unanswered questions at the national jail.
By: L.N. Reklai
KOROR, Palau (December 29, 2025) — The Bureau of Public Safety is facing another apparent inmate escape, the latest in a series of serious incidents that have raised concerns about jail security and oversight.
Inmate Christopher Corona, also known as Tobal Corona, reportedly escaped from custody late Sunday night, sometime between 10 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 28, according to information obtained by Island Times.
As of Monday, no public statement or official report had been issued by the Bureau of Public Safety confirming the escape. Multiple attempts to obtain a comment or additional details from BPS officials were unsuccessful.
Authorities have not disclosed how Corona escaped or what charges he was serving at the time. Public records show Corona was charged in 2017 with multiple criminal offenses after allegedly breaking into 12 vehicles over the course of a single weekend.
The reported escape comes amid a turbulent year for BPS and its Division of Corrections. The agency has faced mounting scrutiny following two earlier inmate escapes, a brutal knife attack that caused the death of an inmate, and a recent incident in which an inmate was set on fire inside the jail. That inmate died this weekend, reportedly from his injuries.
The latest escape adds to growing public concern over safety, accountability and conditions.