Police unaware of two deaths at Mandaue City jail

CEBU, Philippines - The deaths this month of two detainees in the Mandaue City Jail have not been reported to the police.

Arnulfo Utom, 50, died at around 2 p.m. last December 6 while Danilo Perez, 49, died at around past ten p.m. last Wednesday.

Utom was committed in jail last November for a murder case while Perez was jailed in May 2007 for a drug pushing case.

In an unofficial report, Insp. Anacleto Dusaran Jr, deputy warden of the Mandaue City Jail told reporters yesterday said Perez died of a cardiac arrest and confirming through the death certificate of Utom that the detainee died from myocardial infractions.

Dusaran said no foul play was involved in the two deaths.

He said the jail was not able to inform the Homicide Section of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) because the jail had yet to receive the death certificates.

MCPO director Sr./Supt Noel Gillamac said the police have no knowledge of the deaths of the two inmates.

He said the police are informed only when detainees die of natural causes.

However, he said the BJMP does not prevent the police from investigating especially when relatives complain.

So far, the MCPO has not yet received any complaint about suspicious deaths inside the BJMP.

Last August, a couple detained in the city jail for the ambush of businesswoman Debbie Yu fell ill and were taken to the infirmary after feeling weak and complaining of dizziness.

Police said they received reports prior to the incident that inmates Maritess 'Barbie' Velasco and her husband Jonhjoy 'JB' Palo-palo would be harmed.

The couple got dizzy and were unable to get up the next day after drinking the juice given by Palo-palo's mother, Nerissa.

Police are looking into the possibility that someone tried to poison them.

Nerissa gave two bottles of C2 to Velasco and a bottle of Sunkist juice to Palo-palo.

Former jail warden Sr. Insp. Rusylvi Abueva said the three bottles of juice were brought to the Bureau of Food and Drugs Administration (BFAR) for examination. (FREEMAN)