The guessing game is on as President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday revealed that authorities would soon capture an “important fugitive.” VIDEO BY INQUIRER.net’s RYAN LEAGOGO
Manila, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday revealed to media that authorities would soon capture an important fugitive.
“Ang kaya kong masabi sa inyo ngayon, may ine-expect kami. Hindi ko na muna sasabihin sa inyo kung sino, ang masasabi ko muna ay pag nagtagumpay ang isang kasalukuyang operasyon, mabibilib kayo sa kalibre ng mga dadakip at madadakip,” Aquino said in an ambush interview during The Pinoy Music Summit in Manila.
(What I can tell you now is that we are expecting someone. I won’t tell you who. What I can say is that if the operation succeeds, you will be impressed with the caliber of those who will arrest him and the fugitive who will be captured.)
President Benigno Aquino III. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net
He declined to give details so as not to preempt the arrest.
“Ngayon ’pag tinanong nyo ako ng detalye, baka naman itong malapit na madampot ay mapansin na sya ang tinutukoy ay mawala na naman,” he said.
(Now if you would ask me for more, this person who is about to fall might realize he is the one being referred to and be able to allude arrest.)
“So hintayin na lang po (Let’s just wait),” he added.
Aquino gave the statement two weeks after real estate magnate Delfin Lee, founder of the Globe Asiatique and the alleged brains behind a housing scam, was arrested by the Philippine National Police.
Lee was among the “Big Five” or the country’s most wanted men. Like Lee, General Jovito Palparan, Palawan Governor Joel Reyes, his brother Coron Mayor Mario Reyes and Dinagat Island Representative Ruben Ecleo Jr. Authorities put up a P2-million bounty for the capture of each wanted man.
Palparan was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and disappearance of University of the Philippines students Karen Empeno and Sherlyn Cadapan while the Reyes brothers were the primary suspects in the murder of radio broadcaster and environmentalist Gerry Ortega. Ecleo, on the other hand, was convicted in 2012 for killing his wife.
Palparan, who once served as a partylist representative, has been missing since 2011. Meanwhile, the Reyes brother disappeared in March 2012 after the Puerto Princesa City trial court ordered their arrest.
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