DILG orders relief of jail warden over Martin Soriano case

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) relieved the Quezon City Jail warden for command responsibility over the alleged irregularities when three jailguards escorted controversial inmate Martin Soriano, a former civilian agent of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for a supposed court appearance.

The jail guards and Soriano were later got involved in a carjacking case.

Interior Undersecretary Marius Corpus, who is the acting chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), appointed Chief Inspector Noel Baby Montalvo to replace Superintendent Ignacio Panti as warden of the Quezon City Jail to ensure "fair and impartial investigation on the incident."

Corpus directed BJMP-National Capital Region (NCR) Senior Superintendent Serafin Barreto to complete within next week the investigation into the case.

"I directed Col. Barreto to investigate the incident and submit his report within next week," Corpus told The STAR, noting that if the investigation indicates that Panti has nothing to do with the incident, he can be re-appointed to the post.

Soriano, who faces various charges of robbery and extortion, estafa and arbitrary detention, was caught with three jailguards identified as Senior Jail Officers 3 Enrique Guevarra, Edgardo Nagumbing and Eduardo Tayag for using a stolen silver Mitsubishi Lancer with license plates XSB-645.

Records showed that the three jail guards had just escorted Soriano to attend a court hearing at the Makati Metropolitan Trial Court. However, instead of going back to Quezon City Jail, Soriano, another civilian and the three jailguards ate in a restaurant in Makati City. It was at that instance when NBI agents arrested Soriano.

Corpus said there was apparently familiarity and rapport between the jail guards and the inmate in the incident. He noted that the case should serve as lesson to other jail guards to know their responsibility as escorts of inmates.

"There was apparent violation of the BJMP rules and regulations and the investigation would focus on the gravity of the offense," said Corpus, who noted that the jailguards could not use any excuses in using private vehicles in transporting an inmate.

He explained that if the Quezon City Jail does not have any vehicle, jail authorities should have asked the nearest jail or the regional office for one. A private vehicle can be used to transport an inmate only with authorization of the jail authorities.

The NBI yesterday said that from car theft charges, the Department of Justice (DOJ) changed the criminal case filed against Soriano to violation of the anti-fencing law.

NBI Regional Director Ruel Lasala, of the National Capital Regional Division (NCRD), said the DOJ prosecutor handling the Soriano case deemed it appropriate to file anti-fencing law charges against the former NBI agent and four other respondents.

Apart from Soriano, also included in the charge sheet were his two drivers Michael Gatchalian and Emiliano Capili, his secretary Helen Gratil, and his business partner Maria Irlanda.

Lasala denied speculations that the DOJ’s decision downgraded the offense.

"The changing of the charges does not make Soriano victorious. The two cases, car theft and fencing, are related because the former is stealing a vehicle and the other is possessing a stolen car. There is a higher penalty to violators of the anti-fencing law."

Soriano earlier explained to the NBI that the "hot car", a silver Mitsubishi Lancer was merely pawned to his lending firm Galleon Nugget Trading wherein Irlanda was his business partner. – With Evelyn Macairan