Haste makes waste.
Despite pressure from the Congress, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) wants to take its time in investigating the deadly riot in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) last Sept. 28. Those involved in the scuffle were convicts after all, said CIDG Director Chief Supt. Roel Obusan.
“I don’t need to hasten the investigation because these are already convicts. Kaya natin binibilisan ang investigation and criminal cases just to have the capture of the criminals and the suspects immediately kasi habang tumatagal mas mahirap hulihin,” Obusan said in an interview at Camp Crame on Friday.
Obusan said they aim to finish the investigation by next week without giving a specific date.
READ: Solon asks BuCor, CIDG: Why the delay in Bilibid riot probe results?
But he maintained that the delay in the result of the investigation does not mean its probers are slacking off.
Obusan said if the investigation would be “haste and not deliberate,” “it will not answer so many questions from the media from all aspects and quarters of the society.”
CIDG Director Chief Supt. Roel Obusan. Photo by Noy Morcoso
During the congressional inquiry into the drug trade inside the penitentiary on Thursday, Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin asked the CIDG why the release of the probe result is taking so long.
Garbin asked Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Asuncion that the investigation result on the riot be presented to them when the hearing resumes Monday next week.
But Obusan said they have yet to be summoned by Congress for the resumption of the hearing where Jaybee Sebastian, one of the inmates injured in the riot, is expected to attend.
“Kapag ipe-present ng Congress, ipe-present namin ‘yung aming development at progress but not the final thing because we don’t have it yet. We are working hard and I believe the good congressman, kung sino man ang nagpapakuha no’n, will understand us na ginagawa naman lahat pero hindi pa nga lang natatapos ang kabuuan,” Obusan said.
Inmates involved in the riot – Ruben Tiu, Clarence Dongail, a former police Chief Inspector, Edgar Cinoc and Tomas Donina – were brought to the PNP Custodial Center last October 3 while the CIDG is conducting the investigation.
But Obusan said BuCor representatives will fetch the four inmates at Camp Crame because the CIDG’s custody over them will only be until 7 p.m. Friday.
The CIDG is looking into different versions of the incident from the inmates who survived the violence that killed convicted Chinese drug lord Tony Co and injured four other high-profile inmates inside the NBP’s maximum security compound.
Dongail, a former police chief inspector, claimed that he was attacked by Tony Co after he tried to stop Co and other Chinese convicts from having a pot session inside their cell.
Dongail said the attack happened while he was in the prison area of Sebastian, a convicted kidnapper. Both of them were wounded in the scuffle, along with inmates Peter Co and Vicente Sy who were supposedly with Tony Co’s group. Tony Co was declared dead on arrival at Muntinlupa Medical Center.
But Sebastian and Sy gave different versions of the incident and claimed that Tony Co was not using “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) before the riot happened.
Sebastian said he was watching the news inside the mess hall when another inmate, Tomas Domeña, attacked him with a bladed weapon.
Prison guard Dennis Alfonso supported Sebastian’s version. He also said they did not recover any illegal drugs or paraphernalia at the scene./rga