MICHAEL Cataroja, a person deprived of liberty (PDL), narrated on Tuesday, August 22, 2023, how he bolted the maximum security of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
During a Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights inquiry into the alleged discovery of mass graves at the septic tank of the NBP, Cataroja said he got out of prison on the morning of July 7 by hiding near the under chassis of a garbage truck.
“Tumutulong na pagbuhat ng basura…tapos may dumaan na L300…doon na po ako pumasok sa ilalim ng truck,” he said.
(By helping to carry garbage... then an L300 passed by... that's when I got under the truck.)
Cataroja said it took him hours before he alighted from the truck along C6 road where he started walking toward Antipolo without a shirt.
He said he escaped the facility due to boredom.
“Sobrang buryong lang po. Wala pong dalaw (I was so bored. There were no visitors),” said Cataroja.
Cataroja also admitted that he lied to the police when he told them that he escaped by blending in with outgoing visitors and showing a fake stamp, which he drew using a ballpen, to the jail guards.
Cataroja was arrested by the Angono, Rizal police in Sitio Minahan Bato in Barangay San Isidro on August 17 following information from a concerned citizen.
He was committed to the NBP in 2021 due to violation of the Anti-Fencing Law.
Committee chairman Senator Francis Tolentino suspended the hearing as Cataroja reenacted his escape.
During the reenactment, Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) personnel also showed how each vehicle coming in and out of the NBP is being inspected using an inspection mirror, both under and over a vehicle.
In a press conference, Tolentino said Cataroja’s reenactment raised more questions.
He floated the possibility of connivance in order for him to evade authorities.
“May posibilidad na hindi ganoon ang nangyari, na hindi sya nandoon kasi may kalayuan ‘yung sa pinagmulan hanggang sa C6 at tsaka paano mo malalaman na nasa C6 ka na e nakabaluktot ka lang doon, magkakamukha naman ang kalye,” said Tolentino.
(There's a possibility that it didn't happen that way, that he wasn't there because the incident where the escape happened is far away from C6 and how do you know that you're already at C6 when you're just bent over there, the street will look the same.)
“Hindi ka tatagal, sumakit na nga ang likod nya kasi mainit. Hindi nagja-jive ‘yung motibo nya sa risk na ginawa niya,” he added.
(You won’t endure it. His back even hurt because it's hot. His motive does not jive with the risk he took.)
Bucor also formed a board of inquiry to investigate Cataroja’s escape.
Cataroja’s disappearance was one of the reasons that prompted the panel to conduct a probe into the alleged discovery of mass graves at the septic tank of the NBP.
After he went missing, Bucor chief Gregorio Catapang ordered an investigation and inspection of all septic tanks inside the NBP amid several tips that some PDLs who were reported either as missing or have escaped in the past were actually buried there.
But one of the bones that were retrieved from one of the NBP’s septic tanks turned out to be from a chicken, not human. (SunStar Philippines)