The National Press Club of the Philippines has received verified reports from a highly-reliable jail bureau official of a plan by the prime suspects in the Ampatuan massacre to escape by bribing top officials from the bureau and the Philippine National Police.
Per our source’s info, a bribe of P150 million was being dangled by members of the Ampatuan family to interested takers. Already, one Bureau of Jail Management and Penology official was offered P50 million- a downpayment of P10 million if he would agree to the plan and the balance to be given once the suspects have escaped.
The offer was made just before the massacre’s first anniversary last month. The jail official reported this to a higher authority who then ordered his relief to avoid the temptation. A report about this offer had been sent to DILG Sec. Jesse Robredo and PNP chief Raul Bacalzo.
We were informed that Justice Sec. Leila De Lima also knew about this already.
Alarmed by this plan, the jail bureau has recommended the automatic relief of the Manila District Jail warden every three months. The roofdeck of the jail facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, which can accommodate a helicopter, was filled with steel junk and mattresses to prevent a possible aerial rescue.
As such, the NPC calls on everyone concerned to follow the lead of the BJMP official and resist the temptation of a quick fortune. We commend the BJMP for its actions and we shall officially relay our gratitude to its leadership today.
Also, we call on the DILG, the PNP, the Supreme Court, the Department of JUstice and other security forces to tighten their watch on the suspects, especially during hearings, in the light of the discovery of this escape plot.
We need not emphasize how dangerous the suspects are.
We encourage others to immediately report similar incidents where cash was being dangled in exchange for the suspects’ freedom. Admittedly, the Ampatuan family’s enormous wealth and plundered money could already be changing hands, or could have already changed hands, as we speak. But let this serve as a warning to them: We shall work to ensure that each and every suspect in the massacre will remain in jail before the attainment of and until justice has been served.
The NPC is resolved not only to monitor the developments in and out of the courtroom but developments in security and the behavior of the suspects and their custodians as well, among other thngs.
Thank you.
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