By BEHN FER. HORTALEZA, JR.

BLOOD may as well be in the hands of the Dagupan City jail warden as in the inmate-killer’s own in the killing of a jail guard Saturday in barangay Babasit in Manaoag at the house of the inmate’s brother.

Jail Officer 1 Bernabe de Leon, 54, of the city jail, was hit on the head with a piece of wood before being shot in the forehead with his own gun, a caliber .38, by an inmate, identified as Jose Pepito Salayog, 50, a native of Kalinga province.

Salayog was brought out of the jail compound under still unclear circumstances by the slain guard purportedly for a medical checkup at the Dagupan Trauma Hospital.

Bureau of Correction officials and agents have launched a manhunt for the escaped inmate who was facing charges for statutory rape committed in San Fabian now being heard at the regional trial court in Dagupan City.

Investigation said guard and inmate boarded a passenger jeep bound for the city proper but instead of proceeding to the hospital just three to four kilometers away, they took a passenger van bound for Manaoag.

It was not yet clear from initial investigations if Salayog had persuaded De Leon along the way to bring him first to Manaoag or if the two already had an agreement that they would be proceeding to that town instead of to the hospital.

Jail Chief Inspector Florante Nisperos, city jail warden, claimed he did not give any clearance to de Leon to bring out Salayog from the jail.

Salayog, who was confined at the jail infirmary, was allegedly complaining of chest pain and vomiting blood.

Nisperos claimed that although he was on duty at the time along with his deputy warden and five other jail guards including de Leon, he was not consulted when Salayog was brought out.

Normally, a judge should first issue a court order before any inmate or prisoner can be brought out from jail for medical or other reasons.

Nisperos and the other jail officers are now under investigation by the regional office of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in connection with the incident.

Police Superintendent Mateo Casupang, police chief of Manaoag who investigated the killing, observed that there may have been serious lapses in the custody of inmate Salayog as he learned that the latter was not in handcuffs when he was brought to barangay Babasit in Manaoag to his (Salayog’s) brother’s house.