Probers: Supt. Nobleza may have a police accomplice

Supt. Maria Cristina Nobleza, deputy regional chief of the PNP Crime Lab in Davao Region, hides her face from reporters. / Benjie Talisic

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol-Investigators are looking into the possibility that a female police official may have another police officer who was working with her to rescue the remaining Abu Sayyaf members trapped in the town of Clarin, Bohol.

A source told the Inquirer that they were able to recover a text message that reportedly gave Supt. Maria Cristina Nobleza a go-signal to proceed to Clarin town, about 41 km from here, on Saturday when the Abu Sayyaf members were being pursued by government troops.

“This (alleged involvement of another police official) is one of the possibilities,” said the source who asked not to be identified.

The problem, however, was members of the Philippine Army had put up several checkpoints in Barangay Bacani, the site of the firefight in Clarin, since the village had been locked down to prevent the remaining Abu Sayyaf from escaping.

Nobleza was on board a black Nissan Navara pickup, driven by  Renierlo Lou  Dongon, that didn’t stop at the checkpoint, forcing soldiers to chase and block the vehicle.

Dongon and Nobleza were later brought to the Clarin police station as well as the elderly woman and a teenaged boy who were with the two inside the pickup.

Among those recovered from the pickup were bottles of energy drink,  canned goods, diving gear, goggles, biscuits, male underwear, t-shirts, shorts for men and medical kits.

On Sunday, the four were brought to Tagbilaran City from Clarin.

Nobleza and  Dongon were detained at the Bohol District Jail (BDJ) in Barangay Cabawan in Tagbilaran City, while the elderly woman and the teenager were taken to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

At BDJ, Nobleza was restless and could not sleep, another source said.

Renierlo Dongon, the vehicle’s driver, who is also said to have links to the Abu Sayyaf Group. / Benjie Talisic

The two would be taken to Camp Crame anytime to face Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

Among the cases to be filed against Nobleza were  disobedience of agents and persons of authority and disregarding the checkpoints as well as harboring a criminal because Dongon had a standing arrest warrant for double murder with attempted murder in Cagayan de Oro City.

Chief Supt. Noli  Taliño, police director for Central Visayas, said they had pieces of evidence that linked Nobleza and Dongon to the Abu Sayyaf although they had to determine what roles they played in the bandit group.

Among the evidence was the text message from one Abu Sayyaf member asking for help before he was killed with two others by government troops in Barangay Caboy, Clarin on Saturday night – shortly before the four were arrested in the checkpoint.

Nobleza reportedly threw away the cellphone but this was recovered by authorities, the source added.

Dongon, who is also known as “Kudri,” is a bomb expert whose four brothers-in-law were leaders of Abu Sayyaf, he added.

“But the complete information what their participation is (to the bandit group) is still subject in the investigation,” said Taliño.

The elderly woman, who was with the two, is the mother of Dongon, and was considered arrested.

The 13-year-old  boy, on the other hand, is Dongon’s nephew and is now with the  Department of Social Welfare and Development, being a minor.

Taliño said the boy is the son of Ahmed Santos, the leader of Rajah Solaiman Group.

The apartment in Barangay Looc, Panglao town, where Supt. Maria Cristina Nobleza and her three companions stayed for almost a week before they were flagged down by Philippine Army troops at a checkpoint at Barangay Bacani in Clarin town on Saturday, about the same time when police and military teams were hunting down the bandit group and later killed three of the members. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/LEO UDTOHAN

Nobleza was currently assigned at the deputy chief of Crime Laboratory in Davao Region.

She was also assigned to the anti-illegal group and was on leave because she was in schooling, said Taliño.

But Nobleza converted into Islam and had a relationship with Dongon.

Taliño, however, said he didn’t believe the claim of Nobleza that she was on vacation in Bohol and was on tour in Clarin.

He asked why there were medical kits in the pickup that was registered in her name if the purpose was to tour the province.

“Yung katulad ng first aid. Para saan ba yun? Obviously para sa sugat. So those are the things kino-consider sa investigation  (For example the first aid kids, what were those for? Of course to treat the wound. Those are the things we consider in the investigation),” said Taliño.

A source in the Philippine National Police said Nobleza and her group had been in Panglao since April 17, six days after a band of Abu Sayyaf members had an encounter with government troops that killed four members including their leader Abu Rami, as well as three soldiers and a policeman.

The remaining members were spotted in Barangay Bacani, Clarin last Saturday that resulted in the firefight that killed their local guide, Joselito Melloria and three other Abu Sayyaf members.

Police said Nobleza and her three companions stayed in an apartment in Barangay Looc, at least 100 meters from the police station.

Police said the owner didn’t suspect Nobleza since she registered her own name.

The apartment is at least 10 meters from the Looc Barangay Hall. There are several houses near the apartment.

A habal-habal driver, who asked for anonymity, told the Inquirer on Monday that Nobleza and her companion Reenor Lou Dongon who was her driver asked him to take them to the Panglao public market.

“After they bought fish they returned to the apartment,” the driver said.

Some residents told the Inquirer that they noticed that their vehicle, a Nissan Navara with plate number FGN-270, arrived late night or early morning at the apartment.

“Lapuk ang sakyanan pero wala mi magsuspitsa diin gikan (The vehicle was muddy but we were not suspicious where it came from),” a neighbor said.

They also noticed that an elderly woman and a teenager didn’t go out of the apartment.

The group was supposed to check out on Saturday and had told owner of the apartment that they planned to go to Jagna town or Cebu province.- with Benjie Talisic

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