MANILA, Philippines—The former vice mayor of Masbate City convicted of killing a lawmaker in 1989 surrendered to authorities on Tuesday, Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa said on Wednesday.

At a press conference, Verzosa said Florencio "Jun" Fernandez contacted authorities and expressed willingness to surrender.

Fernandez was then picked up at the Masbate airport at 8:15 a.m. Tuesday, air lifted via a Huey chopper, and will be temporarily detained at the Camp Crame detention center.

Fernandez admitted to reporters that he easily escaped the Masbate provincial jail before dawn of June 22 by simply jogging out of the prison compound.

He said that he escaped because of threats to his life.

"Kung hindi ako tumakas malamang hindi ko na kayo makakaharap ngayon (If I had not escaped then, you won’t be seeing me here before you)," Fernandez said.

Fernandez was convicted by the regional trial court Branch 141 of Masbate City on June 26, 2006 and sentenced to four life terms for the murder of Masbate Representative Moises Espinosa in March 1989.