Pasay inmate gunned down

A jail guard shot dead an inmate in the Pasay City jail Saturday afternoon, claiming self-defense. Jail Officer 1 Joel Cabrera voluntarily surrendered to his superiors after the incident.

The victim was identified as Elepsin Delfin, 25, who was detained for violation of the Comelec gun ban and the Dangerous Drugs Act. He sustained a gunshot wound in the stomach and died at the Pasay City General Hospital.

Initial investigation showed that the incident happened at around 2 p.m. at the second floor of the city jail.

Cabrera was reportedly conducting a head count of the inmates at the control gate when for no apparent reason, Delfin repeatedly punched him in the face and tried to grab his caliber .38 service revolver. The two men grappled for the gun, which suddenly went off, hitting Delfin in the stomach, Cabrera said in his affidavit.

Along with two other jail guards, Cabrera rushed the wounded inmate to the hospital. Delfin expired yesterday morning.

SJO1 Ramon Carolina, of the city jail intelligence group, said Delfin has had a history of attacking jail guards. This was the third time, Carolina said, that Delfin attacked Cabrera. – Nikko Dizon