Missing Bililbid inmate found, nabbed in Rizal; investigation underway
Angono police officers arrest Bilibid inmate Michael Cataroja, who was reported missing last month. (Photo from BuCor)
MANILA, Philippines – The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Thursday confirmed that maximum security inmate Michael Cataroja, who was reported missing last July, is alive and was re-arrested by members of the Angono police.
The New Bilibid Prison (NBP) tapped the assistance of the Philippine Coast Guard’s K9 unit to search the over 10-hectare prison facility leading them to a septic tank that was initially believed to contain Cataroja’s chopped remains.
Bone fragments were recovered and sent to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which was confirmed that the bone recovered was not from a human.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. ordered a full-blown investigation to determine how Cataroja managed to escape.
A board of inquiry will be created to conduct the probe and determine who helped Cataroja escape.
