Warden sacked after prison fight

ILOILO CITY—Prison authorities have relieved the warden of a district jail here after four inmates were stabbed and wounded during a fight inside the facility on Monday.

Supt. Simeon Delojo was replaced by Chief Insp. Rafael Cabantud, who will serve as officer-in-charge of the city jail in Barangay Ungka in Jaro District. The jail has 696 inmates.

On Tuesday, Cabantud said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) was investigating Monday’s melee to determine the liabilities of the inmates involved and possible lapses of jail personnel.

PO3 Jerwin Servano of the Jaro police identified those wounded as Elmer Delgado, 34; Edison Espago, 32; Rey Cataluna, 25; and Jed Refugio, 27, who are facing murder and drug charges. They were brought to Western Visayas Medical Center.

They were allegedly attacked by brothers George and Joel Barsibas during a meeting among the inmates at around 9 a.m.

Joel first stabbed Delgado with a pair of scissors during a shouting match, Servando said, while George attacked Refugio who was trying to pacify them. The brothers also stabbed and hit with a rock Cataluna and Espago when they tried to intervene, he added.

The pair of scissors was believed to have been used in the making of Christmas lanterns by inmates, Cabantud said.

Supt. Ignacio Panti, BJMP director for Western Visayas, ordered Delojo’s relief.