What killed 10 inmates and seriously wounded a jail officer inside the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Parañaque City on Thursday night – gunfire or grenade shrapnel?
Since both are considered contraband in a prison community, it is a great puzzle on how gunfire and then a grenade explosion happened soon after 10 inmates were escorted to the office of Superintendent Gerald Bantag, the jail warden.
The inmates reportedly had requested for a meeting with the jail warden to air their objection to an order transferring them to another detention cell, Chief Inspector Ariel Sanchez, of the Parañaque Station Investigation and Detective Management Branch, said.
“They requested to talk to the jail warden since they don’t want to be transferred to another cell. Their wish was heeded,” Sanchez told the Manila Bulletin in Filipino.
They were escorted to the jail warden’s office at the ground floor of the BJMP by Senior Jail Officer (SJO) 1 Ricardo Zulueta at about 8:20 p.m. Thursday.
“Upon reaching the office of Bantag, the jail officer who escorted them went out to smoke. No more than five minutes later, that’s when the chaos started,” Sanchez said.
DEAD INMATES
The fatalities who all died on the spot were identified as Jacky Huang, a Chinese national, Waren Manampen, Rodel Domdom, Ronald Domdom, Danilo Pineda, Joseph Villasor, Oliver Sarreal, and Jeremy Flores.
Two inmates –Yonghan Cai, a Chinese national, and Jonathan Ilas –were declared dead on arrival at the Ospital ng Parañaque, a report reaching Senior Superintendent Jose Carumba, chief of Parañaque City Police, stated.
Eight of the inmates, including the Chinese nationals, had drug-related cases, while Villasor’s case was robbery with homicide, and Ilas had a robbery with illegal possession of firearms case, Sanchez said.
Jail warden Bantag who was critically wounded, with multiple wounds in different parts of the body, was taken to the Ospital ng Parañaque.
UZI SUB-MACHINE GUN
The injuries are yet to be determined if it were caused by shrapnels or gunfires, report said.
Responding Scene of the Crime Operatives from the Southern Police District (SPD-SOCO) discovered an Uzi sub-machine gun and an empty magazine, two safety pins of a hand grenade, 14 pieces of spent shells from a caliber .9mm, and two deformed bullets at the crime scene.
GUNFIRE THEN EXPLOSION
The report said a series of gunfire were heard inside Bantag’s office, followed by two loud explosions. The jail guards claimed that the inmates were armed with guns, knives, and grenades.
Jail officers on duty immediately requested assistance from the nearby Parañaque Police Community Precinct (PCP) 3, followed by elements of Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and Carumba.
SECURITY LAPSE?
The officials of BJMP-Parañaque are now in hot water after questions were raised on how guns and grenades were found at the crime scene.
Sanchez said that if proven true that the inmates were armed, the BJMP-Parañaque should be held liable for a lapse in their security.
JAIL BREAK?
The possibility of a jail break was also considered as a motive behind the explosions, said Sr. Jail Insp. Xavier Solda, BJMP spokesperson.
“It is one of the angles being eyed. But the soonest time that we get an update, we will immediately release a statement,” Solda said.
WIPED-OUT?
While the investigation was going on, an inmate reportedly threw a note from his cell, saying that they now fear for their lives after they heard that all the inmates with drug-related cases will be “wiped out” or killed, a relative of an inmate, who requested for anonymity, told members of the media there.
However, Solda denied the allegations and assured the family of the inmates that the situation is under control.
The BJMP-Parañaque was on lock-down yesterday, Friday.
REMAIN CALM
The BJMP asked the families of the inmates in the Parañaque City Jail to remain calm assuring them that the prisoners are safe after the blast that killed 10 inmates.
“To the relatives of the inmates at the Paranaque City Jail there should be no cause for alarm. Your love ones are safe and sound. The incident occurred far from their detention cell,” the statement read.
The BJMP said the agencies conducting the investigation are the BJMP National Capital Region, Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime (SOCO), and the PNP Paranaque Homicide Section.
RELIEVED OF DUTIES
Bantag, who suffered injuries on his face and legs as a result of the blast, said all the second shift duty personnel and the duty Second Officer of the Day were relieved of their duties.
They were replaced by members of the Special Tactics and Response Team.
CBCP WANTS PROBE
Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) wants an in depth investigation be conducted on the blast that took place at the Paranaque City Jail.
“There should be an in depth investigation on what, why, how it happened,” Rodolfo Diamante, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care, said in an interview. The investigation, he said should not only be in-depth but “independent” as well.
The CBCP official also suggested that the Commission on Human Rights also look into the incident. (With reports from Chito Chavez and Leslie Ann G. Aquino)