Warden relieved after attack

TACLOBAN CITY—Jail authorities have relieved the warden of the Catbalogan City jail following an attack on the facility by about 70 communist rebels on an arms seizure mission on Saturday.

Senior Supt. Wenifredo Abordo, regional director of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) based here, ordered the replacement of Senior Insp. Enrico Fevidal, who had been Catbalogan warden for just over a year, by Insp. Arnulfo Gapan.

Fevidal was not around during the assault by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on the jail in Barangay Lagundi, 6 kilometers from the city proper, at 3 a.m. on Saturday.

One inmate killed

The rebels blasted the perimeter fence with a homemade bomb to gain entry, killing one of the 99 inmates and wounding three of the eight guards on duty, Senior JO4 Emmanuel Daga, community relations service officer of the BJMP regional office, said on Monday.

They seized three M-99 and one M-16 rifles, and one .38-cal. pistol from the guards during the hour-long offensive.

Killed was Roy Yangzon, 50, of Catbalogan, who was charged with illegal possession of firearms. Wounded were Senior Jail Officer Edwin Tolibas, JO2 Ismael Palajos and JO1 Mark de Guzman.

Palajos and Tolibas were brought to Samar Provincial Hospital, also in Catbalogan, while De Guzman was taken to Divine Word Hospital in Tacloban.

NPA members

Supt. Carlito Abriz, Catbalogan city police chief, said in a phone interview that based on the accounts of the jail guards and prisoners, the attackers were members of the NPA.

“We have a rouge gallery showing pictures of some NPA members which enable them to identify the rebels who attacked the jail facility,” Abriz said.

The same facility, which was constructed in 2009 and had served as a Philippine Army detachment, was also assaulted by NPA rebels on July 13, 2011.

The police officer said charges of murder, frustrated murder and robbery were being readied against the attackers for filing at the city prosecutor’s office. The rebels were believed to be led by Bernardo Linay, alias Ka Gagoy; Ernesto Laboc, alias Ka Malcolm; and Melito Pajares, alias Ka Ador.

All guards who were on duty during the attack will undergo stress debriefing, Daga said.

The warden, he said, was “immediately relieved from his post … as the investigation is in progress,” and was directed to report at the BJMP regional office. Joey Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas