2 Olongapo inmates shot in violent jail protest

OLONGAPO CITY, Philippines – Two inmates were wounded Tuesday night when jail guards fired shots to control rowdy prisoners holding a noise barrage to protest the alleged abuses of officers of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology assigned at the Olongapo City jail.

Jail Superintendent Alberto Balauag identified the wounded inmates as Lito Mendoza and Joel Abelda, who are now in stable condition at the James L. Gordon Hospital.

Balauag told The STAR that the chaos broke out at around 8 p.m. Tuesday when the inmates protested the court-sanctioned transfer of Renie Lagunero, a leader of the Sputnik gang, to the Dinalupihan, Bataan jail.

Balauag said the protest started as a noise barrage but turned violent when the inmates began destroying the security fence and main door of house jail no. 1, forcing the jail guards to fire warning shots.

But the inmates, according to Balauag, ignored the warning shots, giving the jail guards no other option but to shoot Mendoza and Abelda who were at the forefront of the violent protest.

“We don’t have any choice but to shoot the gang leaders than to let them destroy the security fence that could lead to a massive jailbreak,” Balauag said.