Interpol eyed in manhunt as 33 freed convicts surrender

MANILA, Philippines — The government could tap the International Police (Interpol) in case some convicts released through the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law have already gone abroad.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said a “red notice” mechanism through the Interpol could be used by authorities in re-arresting the released convicts. 

He said this is similar to when other countries seek assistance in going after their citizens that have standing warrants and are hiding here in the Philippines. 

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año agreed with Albayalde and said that Interpol and extradition agreements could be used if the convicts have already slipped out of the country.

Año said they have the list of freed convicts under the GCTA but they do not have data on how many have been able to go abroad.

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said a total of 1,914 heinous crime convicts have been released since 2013. 

BuCor spokesman Eusebio del Rosario Jr. said 33 heinous crimes convicts freed under GCTA have surrendered in various parts of the country as of yesterday noon.?He said the surrenderees included 20 convicts in Cagayan, one each in Pasay City, Cebu, Ifugao and Laguna. ?Del Rosario said they are sure more would come forward because the BuCor received calls asking about the process of surrender. ?He said they will also work over the weekend because more will surely follow in the coming days.?He also urged the other freed convicts to turn themselves in until a resolution on the review of the GCTA law is finished by the committee created by the Departments of Justice and of the Interior and Local Government.?He said they could yield to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, Leyte Regional Prison, Ihawig Prison and Penal Farm, Davao Prison and Penal Farm and Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm. ?Women who wish to return could proceed to the Correctional Institution for Women. ?Del Rosario said BuCor would provide holding centers for the convicts until a legal resolution surfaces from the committee. ?Duterte’s 15-day ultimatum came Wednesday evening, after he fired BuCor chief Nicanor Faeldon for supposedly not following his orders on the GCTA law. 

Albayalde said that they would prioritize the re-arrest of “high-risk” convicts once the 15-day deadline given by President Duterte for their voluntary surrender is over.

The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) will be the lead unit in operations against convicts, described by Duterte as “fugitives” who are wanted “dead or alive.”

Año said that the heinous crime convicts should immediately report to the nearest police station or BuCor office.

From there, they would be documented and be made to undergo medical examination.

All surrenderees would be turned over to the BuCor, which has responsibility over these released convicts, the DILG chief said.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) coordinated yesterday with BuCor for the surrender of the freed convicts.

“Yes, we already went to the BuCor to get a list but they have yet to give us a copy. From there, we will start monitoring and bring them back to the government’s custody,” said NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar. 

On Thursday, a drug convict who was among those freed under the GCTA law surrendered to authorities in Pasay City. 

Nicanor Naz was sentenced to life imprisonment and fined P20,000 for violation of Republic Act 6425 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972 by the Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 116 on June 3, 1993.

Naz was released from the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Davao del Norte last July 11, after having served 40 years in prison pursuant to Article 70 of the Revised Penal Code stated in the memorandum of sacked BuCor director general Faeldon. 

Cagayan convicts

Twenty senior citizens who were convicted of heinous crimes and released through the GCTA surrendered last Thursday and are now under the custody of authorities in various towns in Cagayan and Isabela. 

Cagayan police director Col. Ignacio Cumigad said the accounting of freed prisoners started in compliance with orders of President Duterte.

Cagayan police records showed 29 convicts from the province were released through GCTA.

Cumigad said eight rape convicts yielded in Cagayan, including two each in Tuguegarao City, Amulung and Tuao, and one each in Sto. Niño and Sta. Teresita.

Two robbery with rape convicts surrendered in Solana and Amulung.

Two murder convicts yielded in Sta. Ana and Buguey, and one each from Amulung and Sanchez Mira, said Cumigad.

The convicts who surrendered were aged 60 to 71 and were sentenced to life in prison since 1988 and were released only last year from March to November.

Cumigad clarified that the convicts gave themselves up and were not arrested as they were placed under protective custody of the respective local police stations while their release papers are being reviewed.

In Isabela, two rape convicts yielded in Jones and Echague; one for double murder in Ilagan City and one for robbery with homicide in Alicia.

A rape convict released two months ago through the GCTA surrendered to police in Butuan City yesterday.

Terencio Ponesto, 51, told police that he had heard of Duterte’s 15-day ultimatum to those convicted of heinous crimes and released under the GCTA to surrender.

Fearing for his security, Ponesto sought help from his relatives and surrendered to the Butuan City police station 4 in Barangay Ampayon, according to Butuan police spokesman Capt. Emerson Alipit.

Ponesto was jailed in 1999 after he was convicted of rape. He was released from the Davao Penal Colony in Panabo, Davao del Norte last July 24.

He has lived with his sister in Butuan City following release from prison.

Alipit said they are awaiting further orders on whether to detain Ponesto or turn him over to the BuCor.

Sen. Richard Gordon said yesterday that law enforcers should brace for violence in arresting released convicts. – With Non Alquitran, Paolo Romero, Ralph Edwin Villanueva, Raymund Catindig, Ben Serrano, Jennifer Rendon