Police probe 'suicide' of Ortega slay witness

MANILA, Philippines - Administrative charges may be filed against jail officials in connection with the alleged suicide of a witness in the killing of environmentalist Gerry Ortega in 2011, a police official said Thursday.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo said the Lucena police has already started a probe into the alleged suicide of Dennis Aranas, the alleged lookout in Ortega's murder who has turned state witness.

Cerbo said that officials in the Quezon District Jail may face administrative charges for some procedural lapses.

"Ang dapat dyan ay ni-report sa police para ma-investigate...mukhang may problema," Cerbo told a media briefing.

He noted that Aranas' body was discovered at around 10 a.m. on Tuesday inside the Quezon district jail in Lucena City. The incident was reported to the police by Aranas' brother to the police at around 5 p.m.

He said that the jail officials could be slapped with administrative charges.

Cerbo said police investigators have already taken the statements of two inmates near the detention cell of Aranas and two jail guards.

He said Aranas' relatives have requested the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct an autopsy on the body to determine the cause of death.

Cerbo, however, said he would not consider the cleaning of Aranas' cell after the incident as "tampering" of the crime scene.

Chief Inspector Job de Mesa, officer-in-charge of the Lucena City police, said that Aranas' cell had already been cleared when policemen went to the jail facility to investigate.

De Mesa also said that Aranas' body had been brought to the morgue when the police investigators arrived.