Jail officer shot dead in Laguna

SAN PEDRO CITY – A senior jail officer in Calamba City in Laguna province was shot dead by unidentified gunmen early Monday morning.

The victim, Senior Jail Officer 4 Max Piamonte had served as the chief escort of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in transporting inmates from the Calamba City Jail to the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

Chief Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon (CALABARZON) police, said Piamonte was on board the BJMP’s service vehicle when two gunmen shot him in Barangay Makiling around 6 a.m.

Witnesses said Piamonte was able to get out of the vehicle but the gunmen followed him and shot him again until he was down on the pavement. The suspects fled towards to Barangay Saimsim.

Eleazar said Piamonte, who will retire from the service in three years, has a clean record in the bureau.

“Many are angry with them (jail officers), most(ly) detainees who were transferred (to the NBP) and those they had quarrels with,” said Laguna police director Senior Supt. Kirby Kraft in a text message to the Inquirer.

Kraft said the CALABARZON police has formed a special task group to investigate the case. /ee