By DHEL NAZARIO • JEAN FERNANDO
An inmate died while six others collapsed due to extreme heat in the congested detention cell of the Pasay City Police Station, Wednesday night.
The fatality, Domingo delos Santos, 35, who was facing drug charges, was the third inmate who died inside the overcrowded detention facility since January this year, according to police.
Domingo was declared dead on arrival due to heart attack at about 11:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Pasay City General Hospital, where he and his six fellow detainees were rushed by members of the Pasay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
Police identified the six other inmates as Abrar Faiz, Ric Paule and Eric de Leon, who are facing drug charges;
Rannie Ramos, with carnapping case; Jeson Salibio who was held for theft; and Omar Siddik who violated the anti-fencing law. De Leon is still confined in the hospital.
According to Chief Inspector Wilfredo Sangel, head of the Station Investigation and Detective Management Bureau (SIDMB) of the Pasay City Police Station, the detainees held a noise barrage at around 10:30 p.m. to inform that seven detainees collapsed due to intense heat.
Members of the PDRRMO immediately responded to assist the detainees.
According to Sangel, the detention facility can only accommodate 30 individuals, but it has now a total of 143 detainees, 14 of which are females.
The number continues to climb due to continuous Station Anti-Criminality and Law Enforcement Operations (SACLEO).
“Every day po nadadagdagan sila dahil lagi po may mga huli na karamihan pong mga kaso ay city ordinance po” said Sangel.
Police also said that the other reason for the jail congestion was the courts’ slow release of resolutions or commitment orders for the inmates facing criminal cases.
“Simpleng kaso tulad ng nahuling nagsusugal o umiinom sa kalsada ini-inquest po ang mga ito, tumatagal ng tatlo hanggang limang araw bago lumabas ang resolution ng kanyang kaso, dahil nabatid na sa tatlong prosecutor’s pa dumadaan ang bawat kaso bago ito pag-aaralan kung kulong o puwedeng magpinyansa ang isang preso”, the police said.
Police are asking assistance from the local government to address the problem regarding the congested detention facility.
