CATARMAN, Northern Samar -- A prison guard assigned in Laoang town of this province is now being held at the town's police station for shooting to death a prisoner.

Inmate Rudy Baluyot, 36, died after jail guard Manolito Bulan, 44, shot him several times with an armalite rifle at around 7:15 a.m. Friday, inside the sub-provincial jail of Laoang, according to reports that reached the provincial police office here Sunday.

Bulan claimed that Baluyot tried to attack him with an ice pick and did not heed his warning shot, which "forced" him to shoot the prisoner, the report submitted by Laoang police chief, Senior Insp. Raul Rodriguez, stated.

The report did not say why Baluyot went after the prison guard with an ice pick.

Baluyot was facing a murder case at the Regional Trial Court Branch 22 in Laoang, located about 50 kilometers east of Catarman, the report said.

The inmate suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot. He was later brought to the Laoang District Hospital for autopsy.

Police investigators recovered from the crime scene one ice pick and eight empty shells of an armalite rifle, the report said.

Bulan voluntarily surrendered on the same day to the Laoang police and turned over a caliber 223 model M16 infant armalite that he used in shooting the inmate, along with one long magazine loaded with 20 pieces of live ammunition, the report stated.