Riot leaves 4 inmates dead in Quezon jail

MEDICAL teams treat inmates wounded during a riot at the Quezon provincial jail in Lucena City. DELFIN T. MALLARI JR/INQUIRER SOUTHERN LUZON

LUCENA CITY, Philippines—A riot lasting around 10 minutes broke out inside the Quezon provincial jail here Wenesday, leaving at least four inmates dead and 16 others wounded, a jail official said.

Chief Inspector Prinsesito Heje, jail officer-in-charge, said four inmates were killed in a clash between members of the Sputnik Gang and authorities.

In a press conference, Heje said 12 of the wounded inmates had been taken to the Quezon Medical Center (QMC).

The provincial government sent medical teams and ambulances to the jail, a pre-American colonial period facility at the back of the provincial capitol complex in Barangay (village) 10 here.

Gunfire was heard inside the jail, sending some government employees ducking for cover.

A video showed an inmate wearing only briefs being beaten up by jail guards.

A source inside the jail said while the melee lasted only around 10 minutes, tension did not die down until after an hour.

Each cell in the jail was raided and the injured were brought out. Firemen used water cannons to pacify members of the gang.

The riot took place as some relatives of inmates were visiting. “I was ordered by my husband to run for safety,” said a woman who was visiting her husband.

Members of the Sputnik Gang were apparently protesting the transfer of their leader, a certain Antonio Satumba, to a jail in Pagbilao town.

Supt. Rey Allen Co, Lucena police chief, said at least 100 gang members, mostly armed with bladed weapons, took part in the riot.

Jail guards first fired rubber bullets at the inmates and fired warning shots in the air. These did not stop the riot, however.

There were no reported injuries or casualties on the side of authorities.