
The Provincial Jail in the City of Malolos, Bulacan. (Freddie Velez)
Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando suspended the provincial jail warden and jail guards for allowing persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) to go in and out of the Bulacan Provincial Jail in the City of Malolos, Bulacan and appointed the concurrent head of the Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Ret. Col. Manuel Lukban Jr. as the officer in charge of the Provincial Civil Security and Jail Management Office (PCSJMO).
Fernando said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gave the provincial government last Tuesday, April 22, the clearance to impose the preventive suspension against the provincial warden, Ret. police colonel Rizalino Andaya.
He said the suspension stemmed from the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) Bulacan Field Office's discovery of two PDLs freely going in and out of the jail facility without any court order.
Fernando said it took several days before the governor made the move due an election prohibition on incumbent officials to act on such cases during an election period.
Among those who were also suspended were three jail guards who have not yet been named.
It will be recalled that on April 13 at around 5 p.m. in Barangay Dakila, Malolos City, the Bulacan CIDG arrested PDLs Abdua Arajalon and Mario San Jose after receiving information that they were allowed to leave the Bulacan Provincial Jail despite having pending cases.
Arajalon was a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and the "mayor" of the Bulacan Provincial Jail and is facing a murder case. San Jose, on the other hand, is the "chairman of Barangay 11" in their cell and is facing a homicide case. Both are members of the Sputnik Gang.
Escort jail guard Tee Jay Jimenez was also arrested for "illegally escorting a detainee without court authorization" and Arajalon's wife Sarah Wahid for conspiracy allegedly giving consent to the detainees to get out from jail.
The CIDG reported that the four were arrested while on board a red Toyota Hilux wherein they recovered a caliber .45 and a Glock .9mm pistol.