Police find armed inmates roaming inside Pagadian jail

Several AK-47 assault rifles were reportedly among high-powered firearms recovered from inmates at the Pagadian City Jail in Zamboanga del Sur on Saturday, May 12, 2018, during a surprise inspection by police. INQUIRER FILE

DAVAO CITY – Police who did a surprise inspection of the Zamboanga del Sur provincial jail in Pagadian City on Saturday were stunned to find armed prisoners roaming freely outside their cells.

Senior Supt. John Guyguyon, Zamboanga del Sur police director, told the Inquirer by phone that they discovered some prisoners were allowed to carry firearms inside the jail while some were in another facility near the quarters of Gov. Antonio Cerilles in Barangay Dao.

“We have recovered 69 prisoners in Dao alone,” Guygoyon said.

At the main jail, he said the inspectors found some convicts outside maximum security detention.

“They were supposed to be inside but they were outside,” Guyguyon added.

According to him, the firearms of some of the inmates were even “more powerful” than those of the guards.

He said several firearms had been recovered but he could not yet provide the exact number. These included an Israeli-made Tavor rifle, Ak47s, shotguns and .45 caliber pistols.

The inspection, spearheaded by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Western Mindanao, was conducted amid reports that inmates had been secretly allowed to go out of the jail.

In a memorandum signed by Western Mindanao Regional Intelligence Division chief Supt. Ferjen Torred, the  inspection was also aimed at checking the alleged proliferation of drugs at the jail.

Authorities are set to inspect other jails in the three Zamboanga provinces. /cbb