4 inmates killed, 3 cops hurt in drug raid at Davao City Jail

The scene at the Davao City Jail during a surprise pre-dawn raid on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. (Contributed photo)

Updated @ 8:58 p.m., Feb. 24, 2019, to add more details and a photo

DAVAO CITY — Chief Insp. Roman Hernandez, the provincial jail administrator of Davao del Sur, considered a hig-value target in the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs, tested positive for drug use during a surprise inspection at the Davao City Jail in Barangay Maa on Saturday.

During the pre-dawn raid, dubbed as “Durian Wall,” a clash took place when four prisoners drew knives and attacked four police officers, according to Senior Insp. Maria Teresita Gaspan, spokesperson of the Davao City Police Office.

The injured officers were P02 Jonie de la Fuente, who had a wound in the belly; P01 Vincent Lomoljo, who had a wound in the forearm, and PO1 Ramon Rey Uyanguren, who had a wound in the right arm.

The officers, all assigned at the Santa Ana Police Station, were forced to fire at the inmates to neutralize them. The inmates were taken to the Southern Philippines Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.

The inmates were identified as Alvin Celis, Dexter Delfino, Flor Leonard Resturo, and Jerry Fernandez.

An inmate who was not identified fired a homemade gun, called a “sumpak,” at PO3 Mark Anthony Cameros, who was, fortunately, wearing an armored vest. The bullet hit him on the chest but it only made a hole in the fabric.

The operation took place at around 3:20 a.m.

Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and DCPO also conducted random drug testing on all personnel jail personnel.

The enforcers seized assorted drug paraphernalia and two big sachets of a white crystalline substance believed to be crystal meth, or “shabu,” during the operation.

According to police spokesperson Gaspan, said the drugs would have a street value of about P160,000.

The raid, she said, was part of Oplan Greyhound, which the police launched following reports that some personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology were involved in the illegal drugs operations conducted by some inmates. –With a report from Orlando B. Dinoy

/atm