A 40-year-old man who was facing rape charges was found dead in an apparent suicide inside the lock-up jail of the Candijay Police Station on Wednesday morning.

Senior Master Sgt. Joseph Bayron said Nicanor Ampoloquio was found hanging from a metal bar of the jail’s window by his cellmates at past 11 a.m.

All four of Ampoloquio’s cellmates were asleep during the incident.

“Uwan-uwan man to, nangatog sila mao wa sila kabantay unsay gibuhat sa usa. Unya dihay usa ka piniriso na namata kay hapit na unta maniudto, maoy iynag nakit-an nagbitay na man sa CR,” said Bayron.

The police and other detainees noticed that Ampoloquio became distant and was barely eating following his virtual arraignment on August 31, in which he pleaded “not guilty” to rape charges.  

“Sugod adto mag sige nalang og hinuktok, maglain. Unya og agdahon, mokaon pero ginagmay ra. Mura’g na-bother siya adtong paghuman sa iyang arraignment,” said Bayron.

Initial police investigation, indicated that there were no indications of foul play behind Ampoloquio’s death.

There were also no signs of involvement from his cellmates, as Ampoloquio was noted to have used his basketball shorts’ string to hang himself.

Ampoloquio was one of Candijay’s most wanted persons and was arrested in Dimiao on August 11, 2021.

He was accused of raping a seven-year-old girl,

Based on the police’s probe, Ampoloquio was known to be close to the victim’s family who granted him free access to their home in which the rape incidents allegedly transpired on November, 2017 and February, 2018. (A. Doydora)