Jail guards behind warden’s slay?

GENERAL MARIANO ALVAREZ, Cavite — Police are looking at the possible involvement of jail guards in the killing of this town’s newly installed jail warden last week.

Jail Inspector Ramon Tan, 50, was shot in the head before dawn last Wednesday in his barracks, a few meters away from the municipal jail.

Senior Superintendent Roberto Rosales, Cavite police director, said Tan might have gotten the ire of his fellow jailers for being instrumental in the filing of administrative and criminal cases against them.

Rosales, who has ordered a deeper probe on the case, said Tan personally investigated and subsequently charged some jail guards for allegedly raping female inmates at the municipal jail.

"This could have triggered the suspects to silence him," Rosales said, without mentioning any names.

Investigation showed that at about 2:45 a.m. Wednesday, the on-duty jail guard, JO3 Wilfredo Abes, heard a gunshot outside their office, prompting him to seek the help of JO2 Ruel Briones who was awakened by the shot.

The two jail guards reportedly went out to check where the gunfire came from. They then decided to report the incident to Tan, their superior.

However, when Abes went inside Tan’s barracks, he found the latter lying on the bed with a gunshot wound in the right forehead.

Abes then called Briones’ attention and they rushed Tan to J. P. Rizal Memorial Hospital in Dasmariñas town. Tan was later transferred to the University Medical Center, also in Dasmariñas, where he died at about 10 a.m., almost seven hours after he was shot.

Briones and Abes were both subjected to paraffin tests, the results of which have not yet been released.

Tan took over as municipal jail warden less than a month ago. He replaced Jail Inspector Gerald Bantag, who was relieved due to administrative and criminal complaints filed against him.