Two inmates at the Taguig police jail who were temporarily released to buy food for jail guards, were killed early Monday morning after the motorcycle that the victims were riding rammed a lamp post.
Taguig police chief Superintendent Alfred Sotto Corpus identified the victims as Albert Ago, 24, of Purok 6-A, Barangay Lower Bicutan, Taguig, and Rodel Rellera, 21, of Barangay Ibayo-Tipas, Taguig.
Ago was earlier arrested for a theft case while Rellera was charged with rape.
Corpus said police jail guard Police Officer 1 Roderick Ivan Montaril was arrested and will face criminal and administrative charges of Gross Neglect of Duty for releasing the detainees to buy food.
“He was brought to the prosecutor for inquest, and was immediately placed under arrest,” he added.
Investigation showed that at about 1:45 a.m. last Monday, Montaril who was then the jail guard on duty, released the two inmates to run an errand for him.
Montaril allegedly ordered the two inmates to buy food and allowed them to use his XRM motorcycle with license plates PQ-4190.
Ago was driving the motorcycle on their way to an eatery when he lost control of the motorcycle and slammed into a lamp post that killed both detainees who suffered fatal injuries.
Another inmate Arnel Mendiola, 42, said Ago and Rellera served as Montaril’s trustees and the policeman allowed the two inmates to go in and out of their detention cell to run errands for him.
Chief Inspector Tito Oraya, chief of the Police Investigation and Detective Management Section, said the detainees were outside the detention cell which was a violation of Article 224 of the Revised Penal Code.
Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga ordered the local police to monitor the illegal activities of policemen.
“We will not tolerate such negligence, especially when the safety and security of our people are at stake. The full force of the law shall be applied against him, who did not only deliberately neglect his duties, but also jeopardized the lives of other people,” said Tiñga.