Sunday, February 11, 2007
2 North Cotabato escapees recaptured
DAVAO -- Authorities hunting the 49 inmates that bolted out from the North Cotabato provincial jail early this month have killed an escapee and recaptured two others in Kabacan town.
Philippine National Police Director General Oscar Calderon at the same time supports the idea of transferring high-risk inmates from the North Cotabato provincial jail to a more secured penal institution.
Colonel Pedro Soria, 602nd Brigade Commander identified the fatality as Indong Taligapen who reportedly opened fire at the approaching soldiers responding to reports of armed men in the village.
Lando Serrano and Johnny Maanib both facing murder and multiple murder charges were recaptured by government troops.
Soldiers also recovered an M16 rifle from Taligapen.
Task Force North Cotabato is still conducting hot pursuit operations.
North Cotabato Governor Emmanuel Piñol earlier ordered government troops to get the escapees dead or alive.
The Provincial Government has raised P20,000 award for every inmate recaptured.
As this developed, Calderon in his recent visit to Kidapawan said they will readily transfer all high-risk detainees of the province to Manila once the Department of Justice (DOJ) orders them to do so.
He admitted that any order for the transfer of prisoners would have to emanate from the proper court.
Calderon said without an order from the court or the DOJ they are just as helpless as the Provincial Government.
"It depends on how fast DOJ would act on the plan as per request of Governor Piñol," Calderon said.
Piñol earlier rued on the inaction of the Supreme Court on their request for the transfer of terror suspects in a more secured jail either in Davao City or Manila.
The governor said had the SC approved their request back in 2004, the February 2 jailbreak would have not happened.
Authorities said the early morning raid of the provincial jail by the Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom group was for the purpose of releasing the three suspects behind the 2002 Kidapawan bombing.
A total of 49 inmates escaped during the raid, and until now none of the escapees were recovered.
Piñol said the Provincial Government will be providing special militiamen to augment the two battalions coming from the Army's 602nd Brigade that would form the newly-created Task Force North Cotabato. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (February 11, 2007 issue)
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