By
Lilian Mellejor
February 23, 2019
DAVAO
CITY – Four members of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) were wounded while
four inmates died when they allegedly attacked the policemen during a pre-dawn
surprise inspection inside the Davao City Jail on Saturday.
Dubbed
“Durian Wall”, the 3:20 a.m operation resulted in the wounding of PO2 Jonie
dela Fuente in the stomach; PO1 Vincent Lomoljo in his forearm; POI Ramon Rey
Uyanguren in the right arm. All police officers are assigned at the Sta. Ana
Police Station.
PO3
Mark Anthony Cameros had a bullet hole in his armored vest after an inmate shot
him with an improvised gun called “sumpak”. Cameros was forced to retaliate to
neutralize the inmate.
The
incident happened after four inmates, identified as Alvin Celis, Dexter
Delfino, Flor Leonard Resturo, and Jerry Fernandez refused to heed orders to
come out of the cell for the search operation, which includes body search and
random drug test.
Ma.
Theresita Gaspan, DCPO spokesperson, said the four inmates drew bladed weapons
and attacked the police officers, forcing them to retaliate to immobilize the
prisoners.
All
four inmates died while undergoing treatment at the Southern Philippines
Medical Center.
Gaspan
said the police launched "Oplan Galugad" following reports that some
personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) are in cahoots
with some inmates in the illegal drugs operation inside the city jail in
Barangay Maa.
DCPO
and other law enforcement agencies that included the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency-Region 11 also conducted a random drug test on all BJMP
personnel.
Gaspan
said BJMP Jail Chief Inspector Roman Hernandez, who is considered a
"high-value target", being the Provincial Jail Administrator of Davao
del Sur, tested positive for drug use.
During
the search, the operating team confiscated various drug paraphernalia and
illegal contrabands that included two big sachets of suspected shabu with an
estimated value of PHP160,000. (PNA)
