Inmate dies in city jail

CEBU, Philippines - An inmate was found dead inside the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan yesterday morning.

Cebu City Jail Warden Johnson Calub identified the inmate as Francisco Obiso, 31, a murder suspect and an inmate of the jail’s psychiatric ward.

Calub said at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Obiso complained that he was not feeling well. Obiso also vomited.

He was brought to the jail’s clinic and was given medicines to stop his vomiting.

“Okay ra man siya. Medyo paspas lang kaayo ang iyang pagginahawa mao nga amo siya nga gihatagan og oxygen,” Calub said.

Asked why they did not bring the inmate to the hospital, Calub said they would need to secure a court order first before an inmate can be taken out of the jail.

At past 9 p.m., Obiso was brought back to his cell.

At 6 a.m. yesterday, they noticed that an inmate was missing during the usual headcount.

They checked and found Obiso lying in his cell and was no longer breathing.

This prompted jail officers to take the victim to the Cebu City Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival.

Calub said it would be up to Obiso’s family if they will have his body autopsied to determine the cause of death.

Obiso, a resident of Barangay San Nicolas, was detained at the Cebu City Jail in June 2007 for separate cases of murder, frustrated murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms.

Calub revealed Obiso was detained in the psychiatric ward after he developed mental problem. He was taking daily medication while in jail.     - THE FREEMAN