KIDAPAWAN CITY , Philippines – Inmates, complaining of limited food, maltreatment, and alleged sexual advances by guards on their female visitors reportedly held hostage a senior jail officer of the North Cotabato Provincial Jail for three hours yesterday morning.
The inmates released Jail Officer 3 Samuel Sunico after a representative from the office of North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza reportedly promised to look into their grievances.
Sunico, a dance therapist, was about to start a dance session with the inmates when they reportedly ganged up on him, tied his hands and blindfolded him.
Inspector Diosdado Inso, the provincial jail’s deputy warden, said the inmates expressed their grievances to journalists who covered the hostage crisis.
The inmates complained of limited food rations and alleged harassment by the guards of their female visitors.
“We will not complain if the guards who inspect them and order them to undress in a room are women,†one of the inmates said.
Some local officials tried to downplay the incident as an exercise despite confirmation by ranking police officials of the incident.
Superintendent Leo Ajero, the city police director, said the inmates returned to their cells after releasing Sunico.