2 freed convicts yield in Zamboanga del Sur

MIDSALIP, Zamboanga del Sur –– Fearing for their lives, two convicts freed through good conduct credits surrendered to the police here.

One is now with the Zamboanga del Sur unit of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police. The other is still with the Midsalip police station.

Chief Master Sergeant Eldie Sumain of the Midsalip police said the first convict, a 52-year-old farmer and a resident of Barangay Cumaron here, was convicted for homicide on May 9, 2018, by the regional trial court of Aurora town.

Before the sentence, he was detained for eight years at the Ramon Magsaysay jail of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

After the conviction, he was transferred to the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City where he spent some 10 months. He was released on March 18, 2019.

“I got information of a ‘shoot-to-kill’ order on us (freed convicts) hence the need for me to voluntarily surrender,” the released convict said.

Sumain said they were still verifying the surrendered convict’s status since he was not in the list of freed convicts who committed heinous crimes.

The second convict, a resident of Barangay New Katipunan here, was convicted for rape on December 2013 by the regional trial court in Ozamiz City.

He was then transferred to the Davao Prison and Penal Farm in Panabo City and released on June 28, 2017.

He is now with the CIDG in Pagadian City while the first convict is still with the Midsalip police station./lzb