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Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Capitol mulls team on jail hostage case
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
GOVERNOR Oscar Moreno on Monday said he is mulling over whether or not he would form a team to investigate the hostage-taking incident at the Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail (MOPJ) last Sunday afternoon.
This as he outlined two ways to decongest the provincial jail from its current number of inmates: creating an extension building and creating a task force to study the cases of some inmates and detainees who might be serving more than the penalty of the offenses they are charged with.
Moreno told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro that he has personally went over to MOPJ last Sunday to see the place and to ask questions on what actually happened during the hostage drama.
He said he already talked to MOPJ warden Dominador Tagarda and the others who were involved in the incident and found out that there was no "conspiracy" that happened.
"But I am still waiting for the actual report of provincial jail warden Tagarda today or tomorrow at the latest," he said. After I receive the report, I will make an assessment on whether there would be a need to conduct an investigation."
Provincial Board (PB) of Misamis Oriental committee on police and jail matters chairman Norris Babiera said they are ready to conduct an investigation on the MOPJ hostage incident.
"We are just waiting for the go signal from Governor Moreno," he told reporters Monday.
The hostage situation last Sunday began when a certain inmate named Lorenzo Caberto Jr. sought to buy softdrink from a nearby area within the jail compound.
Caberto, along with a certain Jonathan Nagandan, poked a 12-inch ice pick at lady jail guard Azucena Barte's neck.
Fortunately, Barte managed to disarm Caberto and three other security guards tried to assist her but one of the inmates supposedly picked an improvised gun and without warning fired at her.
At least five persons were hurt in the incident including a certain Riza Mangubat who sustained three wounds on her left foot and one Gigi Maalam of Claveria town.
They, including Barte, were rushed to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) for treatment. Nagandan is reportedly facing multiple rape charges.
Meanwhile, Both Moreno and Babiera said the problem boils down to the "congestion" of inmates in the MOPJ.
But because the Provincial Government as of now could not afford to transfer the jail to another location, both said they have discussed at least two measures to decongest MOPJ of its inmates.
Moreno said even before the hostage incident last Sunday he has already talked with Babiera about decongesting the provincial jail.
He said they are now looking into constructing a MOPJ extension adjacent to the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO).
"Because we cannot as yet afford relocating the provincial jail and we cannot as yet expect support from the National Government we are looking into this minor measure to address the problem," he said.
Babiera said it would take some P20 million for the MOPJ transfer.
Another measure being studied is the forming of a taskforce that would look into the charges of the inmates.
"We will organize a task force that will be mandated to assess the cases and collaborate with the courts for possible release of these inmates particularly those who are charged of minor offense and those who are already serving more than the penalty for the offense they are accused of," he said.
(July 5, 2005 issue)
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