Capitol body files raps vs. warden, 3 guards

CAPITOL’S discipline body filed a gross neglect of duty complaint against jail warden and three jailguards for the escape of prisoner Johnny Ylanan last June 10 in Tuburan town.

Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) jail warden Romeo Manansala and Provincial Jailguard (PJ) 1 Joy Noval, PJ1 Raul Sevilleno and PJ1 Glen Veloso are now facing administrative complaint, with possible sanctions “hanging above their heads.”

Committee on Discipline and Investigation (Codi) chair Lito Astillero said they included Manansala under the principle of command responsibility despite that he was not with the jailguards in Tuburan at the time of escape.

Sanctions

Astillero said his committee has already recommended sanctions against the jailguards, and he requested to withhold sanction specifics, pending Gov. Gwen Garcia’s approval.

The governor is now in Sarangani province in Mindanao, to distribute relief assistance to flashflood victims.

Astillero said the prisoner earlier asked the court’s permission for him to attend her grandmother’s burial on June 10. But his grandmother was buried last June 9.

Astillero said the prisoner and jailguards arrived at the place at 11:30 a.m. and the prisoner escaped at 3 p.m. through the comfort room passing through the ceiling.

Waiting for prayer

When he asked why it took them that long, Astillero learned that the prisoner’s wife asked the jailguards to wait until the scheduled prayer for the dead in the afternoon.

“Di jud na pwede, kana pa lang daan is already a violation of our rules (That alone shouldn’t be allowed),” said Astillero. He cited the court order that mandates them to attend only the burial ceremonies, which was scheduled the previous day, and not prayers for the dead.

Ylanan is still at-large at present as authorities are still looking for him.