Photo released by the Bureau of Corrections shows Angono police officers arresting Bilibid inmate Michael Cataroja, who was reported missing last month.
MANILA, Philippines — It is unacceptable that an inmate escaped from the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said Monday.
Dela Rosa made the comment after the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) revealed that inmate Michael Cataroja, who was earlier reported missing and presumed dead, was re-arrested in Rizal.
“Sobra-sobrang lapses. That’s unacceptable. Maximum security compound [tapos] malalayasan ng isang preso? That’s a mortal sin. Nakakahiya [na ang isang] maximum security compound ay nalayasan,” Dela Rosa told Senate reporters in a phone interview on Monday.
(Too many lapses. That’s unacceptable. That’s a maximum security compound; how can an inmate escape? That’s a mortal sin. It’s a shame that an inmate was able to escape a maximum security compound.)
Dela Rosa, who also served BuCor Director following his retirement as chief of the Philippine National Police under the Duterte administration, said an in-depth investigation must be conducted to determine the officers liable for this “unacceptable escape.”
“First of all, investigation must be conducted in order to determine up to what level or up to what extent the command responsibility we are talking about. We will see if the negligence of duty will reach Bucor Chief Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. so that someone can really be held accountable for this,” said dela Rosa in English and Filipino.
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Tolentino earlier announced that the Senate committee on justice and human rights would shift its ongoing probe from the alleged mass graves at New Bilibid Prison to the security breach following the arrest of Cataroja.