202 heinous crime convicts freed under GCTA reside in NCR

Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO chief. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Of the more than a thousand heinous crime convicts freed under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law, 202 are residents of Metro Manila, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said Saturday.

“Meron tayong nakuhang list ibig sabihin hindi official but more or less meron na listahan na sinasabi nila and so far out of the 1,914 names na nandun, 202 are residents based on the address dito sa Metro Manila,” Eleazar told reporters on the sidelines of the Anti-Crime Summit in Mandaluyong City.

Eleazar said 37 convicts have surrendered and turned over to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). However, he noted that some of these convicts were not originally residents of Metro Manila.

Asked about the NCRPO’s plans on tracking down other heinous crime convicts, Eleazar said he had already asked different police stations in Metro Manila to monitor the 202 convicts presented in the unofficial list of released convicts.

“Itong 202 may address na tayo at binigay na natin yan sa iba’t ibang police stations for monitoring,” Eleazar said.

Last week, President Rodrigo Duterte gave 15 days to 1,914 heinous crime convicts to surrender to authorities or they will be treated as fugitives.

READ: Duterte to freed heinous crime convicts: Surrender now

Previously, Philippine National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said that the public need not worry about the released convicts as police forces strengthened “peace and order” situation in the country.

“Walang dapat ipangamba, ang peace and order situation ng buong bansa ay under control base sa pinapakita ng mga datos,” Banac told reporters in a chance interview in Camp Crame on Thursday. /jpv