Four others wounded: Inmate killed in jail brawl

CEBU, Philippines — An inmate of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) met his untimely death when he was shot by jail security after stabbing four other inmates dawn yesterday.

The fatality was identified as Glenn Lereo Albores, 32, a native of Butuan City in Mindanao. He has been in jail since June 28, 2016 for arson.

SPO1 Winston Ybañez of the city police’s homicide group said Albores used an improvised six-inch ice pick to stab Christian Saballa, Marvin Gimpeso, Benjie Pijo, and Richard Gaviola. All four landed in the hospital.

Saballa and Gimpeso sustained stab wounds to the stomach while Pijo and Gaviola sustained wounds to the chest.

It was unclear why Albores stabbed the four but jail warden Renante Rubio said it is possible that he may have been desperate and lonely because no one ever visited him.

“I was suspecting, based on his record, this inmate Glenn Albores, 32, Porok1-A, Barangay 23, from Butuan City… Ang nakapadani tingali ani kay wala man gud ni siya’y dalaw,” he told The Freeman.

Jail authorities are figuring out how Albores was able to get hold of the cyclone wire that was used to make the ice pick.

The stabbing incident happened around 3:30 a.m. inside Ward 4 where Albores and the victims were confined. Ward 4 houses inmates with disciplinary infractions at the jail.

A commotion in Ward 4 prompted a jail guard to respond to the scene but when he opened the gate there, Albores and about 10 other inmates reportedly ran past him toward the service gate.

“Pag abli, nigawas dayon diretso ang kining si Glenn mao to’ng nahayang to’ng guwardiya, nya nidagan diretso sa gawas padung sa ilang service gate,” Ybañez said.

When warning shots were fired, the other inmates returned to Ward 4, but Albores reportedly kept running toward the service gate and even attacked the jail officers there.

One of the guards at the gate, Jail Officer 2 Roel Escobilla, shot Albores in the chest, which led to the inmate’s death.

“Si Glenn nipadayon… giatake na nuon ning duha ka guwardiya… kay nakabantay man sila nga naay gidang hinagiban… Mao to, napusilan,” Ybañez said.

Ybañez said it is also possible that the other inmates were chasing Albores and the latter was trying to escape.

“Attempt siguro siya og sibat. Ato sa’ng pag-figure out basin gikan sa taas, gigukod siguro ni kining si Glenn sa mga kauban inmate mao tong daghan, nagpundok, kadtong daghan nga mga tao padung sa ilang service gate, mao na ang atong pagtuo sad,” Ybañez added.

Following the incident, Rubio suspended visitation rights until the inmates turned over sharp objects they were keeping. This led to the confiscation of at least 100 sharp objects.

Councilor David Tumulak, the deputy mayor for police matters, called on families of prisoners to also pay the inmates a visit if only to appease loneliness inside the jail.

He also called on telecommunications company PLDT to respond to the city’s request for a phone line at the jail that inmates can use to contact their families. — Patricia Faith T. Santillan, STC Intern Rena Mae R. Gocotano, CNU Intern /JMO (FREEMAN)