Manila jail warden resigns; BJMP, Lim order probe

MANILA, Philippines - Embattled Manila City Jail (MCJ) warden Superintendent Lyndon Torres stepped down from his post yesterday to pave the way for an investigation that will be conducted by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) soon.

In a farewell conference with “mayores” or jail bosses – leaders of inmates’ groups at the MCJ – Torres said he is resigning from his post along with his deputy, Senior Inspector Kaye del Rosario, so as not to influence the investigation.  

He was replaced by Superintendent Noel Montalvo of the Metro Manila Jail in Bicutan, Taguig City. He was a deputy warden at the MCJ from 2004 to 2005.

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim has also ordered an investigation, saying this is the first time that this kind of protest took place in the MCJ.

His chief of staff, Ric de Guzman, said they were told the noise barrage was triggered by fears that the jail be flooded during the rainy season and cause illness among the inmates.

More than 100 inmates belonging to the Sigue-Sigue Sputnik gang held a noise barrage on Thursday to call for Torres’ removal for alleged abuses.

They accused Torres’ men of collecting money from them as “visitation fees,” feeding them improperly prepared food and torturing them.

Some of the jail bosses who attended the conference cried openly and aired their support for the outgoing jail warden.

One jail boss said it was only the Sputnik gang members who made noise. At present, there are 3,254 inmates in the jail and there are only 471 Sputnik members, not all of whom joined the protest, the source said.

Drug trade

Torres, a three-time recipient of Warden of the Year Award, said the allegations against him were untrue.

“This protest is just a coverup for their real intention. What they want is to get me out of here so they can continue with their drug trade,” Torres said.

A jail officer, who requested anonymity, said there was indeed a flourishing trade in illegal drugs in the jail but Torres “had been trying to combat it. The drug lords in the jail are hurting.”

Construction project

The same source added that the drug lords came up with a renovation project at the Sigue-Sigue Sputnik Gang’s dormitory but Torres clamped down on the incoming materials, reportedly because the drug lords were using construction materials to bring in contraband. 

“In fact, on Thursday, they were able to let a truck filled with construction materials into the compound of the city jail but when they learned that Chief Inspector Antonio Gaya-Gaya, MCJ spokesman, was about to inspect it they hurriedly told the driver of the truck to go out,” the jail officer said.

He added that the noise barrage started shortly after the truck left.

The jail officer said Torres had filed cases against inmates and even BJMP employees who were in cahoots with drug lords.

Torres said there was an upcoming revamp of BMJP personnel and this did not sit well with the syndicates in the jail.