SAN PEDRO CITY–A detainee, who escaped from jail in Sorsogon nine years ago, was rearrested in Laguna province, where he apparently lived freely for so long using a fictitious identity.
Marvin Magpantay, 37, was arrested in a computer shop in Barangay (village) Dita in Sta. Rosa City, Laguna around 1 a.m. Tuesday by members of the Laguna Criminal Investigation and Detection Group(CIDG).
Chief Inspector Armie Agbuya, CIDG provincial officer, said Magpantay has been using the name Rhed Mendoza all this time.
In a phone interview, Agbuya said they have been tracking down a certain “Rhed Mendoza” since last month for illegal drug trade in Sta. Rosa City.
“We were told by a tipster that “Rhed Mendoza” was not his real name so we started a background check on this person,” he said.
As it turned out, this Mendoza came from Sorsogon and was earlier arrested for drug pushing. Police records also showed that his real name was Marvin Magpantay, who also faced drug charges in Angono, Rizal.
On February 16, 2006, Magpantay, with two other inmates, bolted the Sorsogon provincial jail, prison records showed.
“He moved to Laguna and apparently lived a free man under a fake name. He was clever as he was even able to buy a property in Quezon province, a motorcycle and put up a shirt and tarpaulin printing shop in Laguna without drawing suspicions,” Agbuya added.
Agbuya said the Sorsogon jail warden sent them pictures of Magpantay, who did not deny his real identity when accosted by the CIDG.
He was arrested with another man, Jerome Bantatua, 23, who yielded a sachet of suspected shabu to the CIDG. Agbuya said Magpantay would be transferred back to Sorsogon jail once transportation is arranged.
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