P’sinan inmate stabs suspected tipster of jail irregularities

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — An inmate of the provincial jail stabbed the other day a fellow detainee whom he had reportedly suspected of being one of those who had tipped off authorities about the illegal drug trade and other irregularities inside the jail.

Chief Inspector Jericho Royales, acting provincial jail warden, said inmate Noel Concepcion, who is facing charges of illegal possession of firearms, was stabbed in the left shoulder with an improvised icepick by fellow detainee Melvin Licdao.

Licdao was himself rushed to the hospital after cell leader Ronald Ferrer beat him up.

Royales, however, denied that Concepcion was being suspected as the "whistle blower" of the irregularities, which led to the May 27 surprise raid that yielded about 119 grams of shabu, several shabu paraphernalia, cellular phones and cash believed to be the proceeds of the illegal drug trade inside the jail.

Royales said he has enforced stricter measures after two sachets of shabu worth about P4,000 were found last Sunday at the door of one of the cells.

Meanwhile, lawyer Geraldine Baniqued, provincial legal officer, said retired police Superintendent Felimon Doria, the provincial jail warden who was suspended for 90 days without pay as a result of the raid, has submitted his reply to her memorandum asking him to explain why he should not be held liable for the irregularities.

About 90 percent of the provincial jail employees have replied to Banqued’s memorandum. A full-blown investigation is underway.

The Special Operations Group of the provincial police, one of those which took part in the May 27 raid, has filed charges of violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act 2002, against five inmates who yielded shabu and shabu paraphernalia during the raid.

The provincial jail is under the supervision of the provincial government. It has now 247 inmates, beyond its capacity of only 140.