Inmate had signs of imbalance: jail exec

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE inmate who was killed after holding a political detainee at the Misamis Oriental provincial jail on Sunday had shown signs of mental and emotional instability days before the hostage crisis.

The hostage taker, Jomar Itong of Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, also had a record to holding people against their will–he was placed behind bars for illegally detaining a family in Jasaan, Misamis Oriental, over a year ago.

Provincial jail warden Dominador Tagarda revealed this even he ordered to step up security measures inside the prison facility yesterday in an effort to prevent a repeat of the three-hour hostage crisis on Sunday, the same day the city celebrated its annual fiesta.

Tagarda said he has summoned prison trustees and cell leaders to a meeting today so they could help jailers in keeping order in the capitolun prison facility on Corrales Ave. and Apolinar Luna Street.

“Ato silang tahasan   nga motabang sila ug bantay kinsa sa ilang kaubang    pinireso nga lahi na ang sinultihan ug lihok,” Tagarda said.

He said Intong had already acted strange and even showed signs of paranoia before the hostage taking.

“Nagto-o kami nga   dunay nervous breakdown ni Itong kay sa wala pa mahitabo ang hostage taking, tolibagbag na man  ang iyang sinultihan. Na-a kunoy magsunod-sunod   niya kay gusto siyang   patyon,” he said.

City police director Senior Supt. Ronnie Francis Cariaga  said Itong was showing emotional stress and had become unreasonable. He said that when policemen entered the prison compound, Itong started hurting political detainee Vicente Libona, forcing police officers to use force.

Tagarda said the situation at the provincial jail has normalized.

Tagarda said would not go strict on visiting hours but would continue with the routine inspections and in implementing rules that have already been laid down.

“Bisan  ang  dalaw  wala nato pog-ngi, apan siempre ato gihapon sila   nga rekisahon aron atong tan-awon unsay ilang mga   dala,” he said.

Tagarda however said the Sunday hostage crisis has prompted prison authorities to start thinking of putting in place precautionary measures so it would not happen again.

The police’s Special Weapons and Action Team (Swat) killed Itong, allowing Libona to escape with only a superficial wound on the chest.

Cariaga said Itong died of multiple gunshot wounds when policemen fired at him during the rescue.

The hostage situation ended when four gunshots were heard after the police Swat team entered the jail compound at around 1 pm .

Cariaga said the responding policemen had to fire the fatal shots when Itong allegedly tried to stab Libona as they entered the compound.

He said the policemen were under instructions not to hurt Itong and was ordered to carry only pistols, not high-powered firearms.

“The police officers had no recourse but to shoot Itong. A total of four shots were fired at Itong,” Cariaga said.

Cariaga said Itong also tried to electrocute other inmates.

Libona confirmed that Itong had showed signs of emotional stress late Satuday evening.

“He asked that his parents and brothers visit him. He was agitated last Saturday night,” Libona said.

Libona said he found Itong trying to electrocute his fellow inmates Sunday morning but he was able to persuade him to abandon his plans.

“All of a sudden he grabbed me and pointed to my chest two improvised weapons that he fashioned into knives from the clothes hanger,” Libona said.

As the three-hour hostage situation dragged on, Libona said Itong was getiing more visibly upset and made several attempts to stab him.

When the police entered the compound, Libona narrated Itong stabbed him on the chest before the latter was killed by the policemen.

Libona is a former member of the New People’s Army.  He was the co-accused of National Democratic Front consultant Alfredo Mapano who was released, in the robbery-homicide case filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 17 in Cagayan de Oro, to join the NDF peace panel in Oslo, Norway, for the first round of formal talks under the Duterte administration last week. (with froilan gallardo of mindanews)