By EDWIN IYO, NITZ ARANCON, and JIGGER J. JERUSALEM
Correspondents .
JAILERS and inmates at the Medina municipal jail in Misamis Oriental heaved a sigh of relief over the shooting death of the cannibal of Talisayan town over the weekend.
The cannibal, 21-year-old Lloyd Bagtong, had been scheduled to be brought to the Medina prison facility on Saturday morning, a day after he was charged with murder by the provincial prosecutor’s office. He was shot and killed in Jasaan town on the way to Talisayan on Friday night after he allegedly grabbed the gun of an officer and fired a shot, apparently because he wanted to escape.
Insp. Robert Almonia, Medina jail warden, said he was somewhat glad that Bagtong would no longer spend a day behind bars under his watch. He did not elaborate.
Almonia said he and his subordinates had expected Bagtong to be brought to them because people charged with crimes in Talisayan normally end up in the Medina prison facility.
“Wala man tay mahimo kung naay commitment order sa korte,” Almonia said.
His subordinate, JO3 Rusbe Roxas, said that before Bagtong’s death, he was worried because the Medina municipal jail has no isolation room.
“Basin makapatay unya o kaha siya ang mapatay,” Roxas said.
Five of the 43 inmates of the Medina prison said they felt relieved that Bagtong would no longer become their fellow inmate.
Bagtong’s presence alone, one of the inmates said, would make many of them to feel edgy and cause sleepless nights.
In his hometown of Talisayan, villagers in Barangay Punta Santiago, also heaved a sigh of relief over Bagtong’s death. They said they had feared that Bagtong would eventually get off the hook and then return.
Barangay chairman Abelardo Mediante, “Nangalipay ang mga katawhan sa among barangay human nakadawat sa report nga patay na ang maong killer.”
The Talisayan cannibal was shot at least thrice after he allegedly disarmed one of the officers who were bringing him back to Talisayan from Cagayan de Oro where he was earlier presented to the provincial prosecutor’s office.
The group was forced to stop in Barangay Punta Gorda, Jasaan, at around 7:40 pm because of a flat tire.
Capt. Maribeth Ramoga, Talisayan police chief, said Bagtong was brought to this city for inquest proceedings because there was no prosecutor in Talisayan at the time.
Ramoga said they had to request for two vehicles from the Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office to be used to bring Bagtong and a few witnesses to the prosecutor’s office.
In one of the police vehicles were witnesses and police escorts, said Maj. Dennis delos Santos, Jasaan police commander.
When the convoy stopped, delos Santos said Bagtong asked that he be allowed to urinate. While an officer, Cpl. Guillermo Odal, adjusted Bagtong’s handcuffs so the cannibal could bring his hands in front of him, he suddenly reached out for the law enforcer’s 9mm pistol.
Delos Santos said Bagtong managed to fire one shot but the police fired back.
He said Bagtong was shot to the chest thrice and another to the side.
M/Sgt. Paul Salcedo of the Talisayan police said Bagtong was shot by Cpl. George Sordillar.
Bagtong was rushed to a town hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival by Dr. Stephanie Anne Marie Nagac at around 8:35 pm on Friday.
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