Team to probe hostage taking at provincial jail

THE Provincial Government of Leyte has formed a team to conduct investigation on the hostage incident that happened inside the Leyte Provincial Jail (LPJ) resulting in the death of a four-year-old girl.

Board Member Carlo Loreto said the team is composed of personnel from the Social Welfare Office, Legal Office, and other departments of the Provincial Government as mandated by provincial administrator Vincent Emnas to conduct the investigation a day after the hostage incident happened.

The LPJ management already sent them a report on their investigation, saying the child was left by her mother in the jail to a trustee sometime in July.

Earlier report stated that the warden of the LPJ said he didn’t know that there was a child inside the jail premise.

“They will conduct investigations on what really had happened including the management system of the provincial jail,” Loreto said.

Bringing children inside the jail is prohibited and this is one of the angles that the investigation team will be looking into to determine who made lapses among jail personnel, according to him.

Loreto added that since the team was formed by the Provincial Government, they had not yet received any report on the result of their investigation.

Aside from the investigating team by the Provincial Government, a possible investigation is likely also to be conducted by the members of the Provincial Board headed by Board Member Rolando Piamonte of the committee on police matter and human rights.

Piamonte said in the investigation that they might conduct, they would be coordinating with the team formed by the Provincial Government.

“Hopefully, we could also tap their expertise on the matter,” said Piamonte.

He added that he will also be asking for the provincial warden for a meeting to discuss said matter before the investigation is to be conducted by his committee. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)