The Justice and the Interior and Local Government departments gave conflicting statements Sunday on whether some of the heinous crime convicts released on good conduct have fled the country.
Justice Undersecretary Markk Perete, who said a total of 76 released heinous crime convicts have already surrendered to authorities and are now in the custody of the Bureau of Corrections, said none of the inmates released have gone abroad.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, however, said he has received a report that some of the convicts freed under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) have already flown out of the country, prompting the Philippine National Police to coordinate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
“Interpol gave a positive response. They said they will help us in whatever way they can,” Año said even as he admitted that the Duterte administration’s hands are tied if the fugitives flee to a country with which the Philippines has no extradition treaty.
Perete said he based his pronouncement on the report received by the Department of Justice from the Bureau of Immigration, which has been directed by Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra to be on full alert to thwart possible subject inmates from leaving the country.
“[A] preliminary report from the BI indicates none of the persons deprived of liberty prematurely released on account of the good conduct time allowance and included in the list submitted by the Bureau of Corrections has left the country,” Perete said in a text message to reporters.
Perete said the DOJ chief has instructed the BI to closely guard all ports and airports that may be used by the inmates to leave the country.
President Duterte earlier ordered 1,914 inmates convicted of heinous crimes who were erroneously released under the GCTA law to turn themselves in 15 days and register themselves before the BuCor or else they would be considered fugitives from law.
The GCTA controversy led the President to sack BuCor Director General Nicanor Faeldon last week.
Duterte issued the order amid allegations of corruption and other anomalies over the issuance of GCTA.
Among those who surrendered, Perete said, were 28 former inmates from Region II.
“The 76 are the ones already with the BuCor. I am not sure if the figure from the PNP represents surrenders already transferred to BuCor, or still with various PNP offices,” he said.
Perete said the DOJ interim oversight committee headed by Undersecretary Deo Marco will meet Monday with BuCor officials headed by OIC Melvin Ramon Buenafe to discuss coordinating mechanisms and conduct inspections.
The oversight committee is tasked to watch over the BuCor until a new director-general is appointed.
Also on Sunday, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the 1,914 convicts cannot simply be rearrested, saying this calls for a court order.
In an interview with Dobol B sa News TV, Rodriguez said the right procedure must be followed in their rearrest.
“We cannot just rearrest these people. They are not escapists. They went through the front door. They brought their things, they have release papers so they went out—erroneous either through corruption or negligence of the Bureau of Corrections,” he said.
He said the court which convicted the prisoner of a heinous crime has the jurisdiction to order the rearrest of the freed convicts based on their GCTA. With Rio N. Araja, Ronald O. Reyes, and PNA
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