Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Crippled robber moved to Cebu City jail
CEBU CITY -- After spending six weeks at the Cebu City Medical Center, robbery suspect Rey Torres was transferred to the city jail Tuesday to await trial for the string of cases filed against him.
Escorted
Torres, whose left leg was amputated because he was shot during his arrest last June 14, was carried from the second floor of the city hospital to a waiting white L-300 van that brought him to the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center (BBRC) past 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Four patrols cars from the Crime Suppression Unit and the Mobile Patrol Group escorted Bureau of Jail Management and Penology personnel in transporting Torres, who is suspected to be the gang leader of armed men who pulled several heists in Cebu.
Infirmary
Because his left leg has not fully recovered yet, Torres is temporarily placed in Ward 3 of the Infirmary Section at the rooftop of the jail facility.
He is with 18 other inmates suffering from asthma, skin diseases and other minor illness.
Interviewed by reporters at the infirmary section, Torres said he is still grateful he survived the ordeal and now has a chance to reform.
Aside from a few shirts and short pants, Torres also brought a rosary and a Bible, which he considers his "guide" to a new life.
Torres lost 16 kilos since his confinement at the city hospital, particularly after undergoing an operation.
He was surprised he was transferred to the city jail, considering he still has an estimated P40,000 in hospital bills.
He said he is not well yet but he has no other choice because the hospital issued a clearance that he is now safe for transfer. He still needs medication for his leg.
"Nagsige pa gyud siya og ngot-ngot (The pain is still there)," Torres said.
He fears he might develop an infection because he has not taken his medication for the past three weeks now. He was supposed to take it three times a week, spending P300 per day for the medicine.
Senior Inspector Gil Inopia, BBRC deputy warden, said they could not provide the needed antibiotics for Torres' medication.
Their medicine supplies are only for cough, colds and fever.
Inopia said, though, that the city jail will take care of Torres' wounds.
Torres, an alleged notorious robbery gang leader, was arrested last June 14 after shooting it out with Cebu City police officers in an operation in Barangay Monte Alegre, Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur.
Torres is scheduled to appear Wednesday at the Regional Trial Court Branch 21 for an arraignment of the robbery charge for the East West Bank heist in Cebu City last Jan. 31. (JST/Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(July 27, 2005 issue)
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