PBBM to Crame: Prevent acts of violence
Following attempt to hold ex-Sen. Leila de Lima hostage
PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has directed Camp Crame to “enforce all measures necessary” to prevent acts of violence at the Custodial Center and other detention centers of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Malacañang said Sunday.
Officer-in-charge Press Secretary Cheloy Garafil made this remark after former Senator Leila de Lima was held hostage by an inmate detained on the charge of being a sub-leader of the local terrorist group Abu Sayyaf.
Quick thinking commander saves the day
A quick-thinking Camp Crame commander saved the day for de Lima and the entire country when he immediately neutralized the prisoner who seized the ex-lawmaker early Sunday morning.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ S. Abalos Jr. and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr. commended Colonel Mark D. Pespes, the director of the PNP Headquarters Support Service for his quick action.
“Col. Pespes saved the day. He was the one who neutralized the hostage-taker. He was very quick thinking. He acted as the negotiation before shooting the suspect when he became very aggressive,” said Abalos.
“That’s the kind of officer we have, one who is very mindful of the safety of the good senator,” said the DILG chief as he minced no word in praising Pespes, a member of PNP Academy Class 1993 who is also a highly-trained PNP Special Action Force commando.
Abalos even demonstrated how Pespes did the job. He said that when suspect Feliciano Sulayao Jr., a ‘Balik-Islam’ known to be a member of the Dawlah Islamiyah Group asked for a bottle of water from Pespes, the latter obliged and when he saw that the life of the senator was already in grave danger, he shot the suspect.
Pespes said the suspect and two fellow inmates, armed with an improvised knife attacked one of their men, Corporal Roger Agustin, as he was serving them their meal.
A tower guard fired shots at the two suspects identified as Arnel Cabintoy, also a Dawlah Islamiyah member and Idang Susukan, a hardcore Abu Sayyaf member neutralizing them on the spot.
However, Sulayao who was not hit dashed toward the nearby cell of de Lima and took her hostage until he was neutralized by Pespes after a nearly 10-minute negotiation.
“Right there, we had a negotiation with him for about 10-15 minutes. Nung nagiging dangerous na ang situation ni Sen. de Lima, we had to end the situation,” Col. Pespes said.
The official who is on his way to getting his promotion to Brigadier General said they have been trained to properly respond to any given hostage-taking situation. “Walang magandang accomplishment pag me namatay sa mga hostages. We’re just very fortunate na hindi napahamak ang ating senadora,” he said.
Azurin said that Pespes and his men will be getting awards for their feat. “It was the judgment call of Col. Pespes who did save the day especially for the good senator,” the top cop said.
The PNP chief said that during their talk, de Lima expressed her belief that she is much safer in the PNP Custodial Center compared to other detention facilities outside Camp Crame.
Azurin said Agustin suffered several stab wounds in the body and remains in critical condition in a Quezon City hospital.
“She (De Lima) said that she feels very safe in her custodial cell. One thing I could say right now and I could assure you, sabi nga ng ating Presidente, importante maging safe ang lahat at si Senator Leila De Lima. Kaya nga nagpapahanap siya ng space kung saan niya gusto na maging safe sa kanya. We look for another place, but she feels very safe sa kanyang lugar. So, she prefers to stay there,” he said.
President Marcos Jr. said he would speak to De Lima to check her condition. He also ordered Gen. Azurin to make sure that no violence will happen again in their jail facilities in the aftermath of the bloody incident.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Sunday formed team of probers that will conduct a motu propio (on its own) investigation into the incident.
While de Lima was unscathed, the CHR in a statement has expressed grave concern over de Lima’s continued safety.
“CHR has already dispatched a Quick Response Operation from CHR NCR for a motu proprio investigation of the case in the interest of finding out the truth and possible accountabilities following this hostage incident and subsequent deaths in the PNP Custodial Center,” the CHR said in a statement.
Citizen Ping: Take note of swift police action
Meanwhile, former Senator and PNP chief Panfilo ‘Ping’ M. Lacson called on government critics to take note of the swift and decisive action undertaken by the police force to immediately resolve the hostage-taking incident inside Camp Crame.
“The swift and decisive response undertaken by the PNP in the foiled hostage-taking of former Senator de Lima and the in-depth investigation already ordered by CPNP Azurin must be taken into consideration before the usual critics start to put the PNP in a bad light,” he said.
“That being said, an impartial investigation must be conducted immediately with the end in view of preventing any similar incident in the future. More importantly, the intended hostage is safe and unscathed even as we should pray for the injured police officer,” Citizen Ping said. By ALFRED DALIZON, HECTOR LAWAS, with Philippine News Agency
