Jonas Ricaña Undang, a 26-year-old inmate at Argao District Jail, was declared dead at a hospital after reportedly being electrocuted while bathing on Oct. 20, 2026.
Police and the BJMP reported that a jailer turned off the circuit breaker and performed CPR, but medical staff declared Undang dead at 8:16 p.m.
Undang's family requested an autopsy and suspected foul play, citing visible bruises on his face, neck, and body that suggested a possible physical beating by fellow inmates.
A PERSON deprived of liberty (PDL) at the Argao District Jail, which is managed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), was declared dead at a hospital after he was reportedly electrocuted while taking a bath past 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026.
The PDL was identified as Jonas Ricaña Undang, 26, a resident of Barili town, Cebu.
According to the investigation of the Argao Municipal Police Station, Undang’s sister, alias Fatima, called the station at 1:10 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 21, to report what had happened to her younger brother.
Argao police immediately coordinated with the BJMP to look into the incident. The BJMP told them that at 7:35 p.m., Undang was suddenly electrocuted while bathing in the comfort room.
A fellow PDL who witnessed the incident called for help right away.
The jailer on duty turned off the circuit breaker, helped take Undang out of the comfort room, and gave him cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Because Undang was no longer moving, he was given oxygen and rushed to the hospital at 7:55 p.m.
At the hospital, he was given further treatment, but at 8:16 p.m., Dr. Kenneth Rey Elnar declared him dead.
The family asked that Undang’s body undergo an autopsy to determine the cause of his death, beyond the initial report that he was electrocuted.
In an interview with Superbalita Cebu, Fatima said she suspected foul play and doubted that electrocution was the real cause.
The family said they saw bruises on Jonas’ face, body and neck, which they suspect were caused by a beating.
“His face has bruises, and his neck and many parts of his body have bruises,” Fatima said.
The family is seeking justice for Undang and wants whoever is responsible held accountable if there was foul play.
One of her suspicions is that another PDL helped beat her younger brother and that jail personnel were unaware of it.
The family went to the jail on Wednesday morning but was not allowed to enter the area where Undang was said to have been electrocuted.
Undang was admitted to the Argao District Jail on Dec. 5, 2025, in connection with cases for violations of Sections 5 and 11, Article 2 of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, and Republic Act 10591, the law on illegal possession of firearms.
The Argao Municipal Police Station is continuing its investigation by taking statements from Undang’s fellow PDLs. / AYB