Talisay City Jail inmates lose visitation rights after ambush

CEBU, Philippines —  The visitation rights of the Talisay City Jail inmates have been temporarily suspended following the ambush that killed three prisoners.

Three inmates— Yayam Gaviola, 40; Marvin Abelgas, 27; and Jovencio Rabadon, 36—facing drug and murder charges were killed in an ambush while being escorted to a court hearing Friday morning.

The inmates were on board a van with two jail guards when a group of 14 unidentified men riding motorcycles strafed the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) vehicle in Barangay Linao, Talisay, just 300 meters away from the city jail.

The driver of the van was wounded and brought to a hospital where the inmates were pronounced dead on arrival. The jail guards were unhurt.

Chief Superintendent Arnold Buenacosa, BJMP-7 director, said inmates’ visitation rights would be restored on Tuesday.

The suspension, he said, would pave the way for an impartial investigation conducted by the police.

He said an internal investigation will also be done to determine whether or not there were lapses in following the security protocol.

The two jail escorts have been reassigned to the regional office pending the results of the investigations.

Also, the jail would remain on red alert status until Tuesday, said Buenacosa.

“Baka sa Martes ay babalik na sa normal ang activities ng Talisay City Jail. Pati ang dalaw ay magre-resume na din,” he said.

In case of threats, he said, jail wardens are authorized to declare a red alert.

“We are after the security of the inmates inside and outside the jail facility,” he said.

There are more than 700 inmates housed in Talisay City Jail, which is managed by the BJMP. The jail is located in the mountain barangay of Maghaway.

Buenacosa said his office has asked security assistance from the Police Regional Office to help secure the jail facility.

He also requested for police escorts during court hearings of inmates, particularly those considered high risk.

Clueless

On the other hand, Police Superintendent Marlu Conag, chief of Talisay City Police Station, said police are facing a blank wall as to the identities of the persons who ambushed the three inmates.

Based on the account of the BJMP escorts, two men first blocked the road by pretending to have been involved in a vehicular accident.

The suspects allegedly disarmed the jail officers and robbed them of their 9mm service firearms.

Moments later, more men riding on six motorcycles arrived and began shooting at the BJMP vehicle which resulted to the death of the three inmates.

At least 18 empty shells and 10 deformed slugs of still undetermined caliber of firearms were recovered from the crime scene.

Police are still conducting follow-up investigation to identify possible motives behind the attack. — KBQ (FREEMAN)