PNP stops manhunt for those freed by GCTA but have not surrendered
The Philippine National Police ( PNP) on Friday temporarily stopped their manhunt operations as they are still waiting for a “clean” list from the Department of Justice.
“Nanhunt operations by 106 tracker teams had been put on hold but continuous monitoring operations of all concerned convicts still at large will be intensified to effect their immediate arrest as soon as the revised list is obtained,” said Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, PNP spokespersonm in a statement.
The PNP’s statement came after the DOJ requested the suspension of arrest as they don’t want to waste government funds in arresting wrong inmates.
Police Lieutenant Colonel Kimberly Molitas, PNP deputy spokesperson, told a press briefing they advised their officers to continue processing documents of those who will surrender even after the 15-day period expired.
“If they so decide to voluntarily surrender, they will still be accepted and process by our police officers and be turned over to the Bureau of Correction. That is the status of our operation for now,” she said.
“Our local police have been advised to just closely monitor those PDLs ( persons deprived of liberty) in their areas of responsibility,” she added.
Though manhunt operations are suspended, Molitas said their tracker teams which consist of personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) are ready.
“They have been organized.. those are the teams composed of CIDG and our regional directors are advised also to form their own tracker teams to assist our CIDG teams in arresting in case we resume or receive the list from DOJ,” she said.
Though the National Capital Region Police Office arrested four inmates convicted of heinous crimes but granted GCTA, they also suspended their operations.
Molitas said they account for 697 inmates who surrendered to their police stations to DOJ.
She clarified that murder convict Rolito Go who is involved in killing a student on 1991 was not included in the list of those who need to surrender.
“He was advised to surrender before the due date but he has sought his counsel and they told him to not surrender because he was a beneficiary of the previous law… He is not a beneficiary of the expanded GCTA law,” said Molitas.
According to DOJ, less than 2,000 inmates who are beneficiary of GCTA law surrendered to the authorities. Ella Dionisio/DMS
