PNP to try to capture al-Ghozi by October

They want to save face.

Hoping to redeem itself from the embarrassment caused by the July 14 escape of a convicted Indonesian bomber and two Abu Sayyaf members, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it will try to recapture Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi al-Ghozi and Omar Opik Lasal by October.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Leopoldo Bataoil said the PNP leadership has been working double-time to recapture the two before the scheduled state visit of United States President George W. Bush.

The third escapee, Abdulmukim Edris, was killed after being apprehended at a checkpoint in Mindanao last Aug. 7.

Police said the Indon Al-Ghozi trained with the al-Qaeda in Afghanistan before the US-led war there toppled the Taliban regime in 2001, and did surveillance work for planned attacks against western and other targets in Manila and Singapore.

PNP officials said Lasal is believed to have participated in the kidnapping of American Jeffrey Schilling in Patikul, Sulu in 2000 and the attack on the Torres Memorial Hospital in Lamitan, Basilan in 2001. He is also on the PNP watchlist with a P1 million bounty on his head.

Edris was killed by Army soldiers in Sultan Naga Dimaporo town in Maguindanao earlier this month as he tried to slip past an Army checkpoint, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Command (Southcom) chief Brig. Gen. Roy Kyamko said.

"We are working on that (recapturing Al-Ghozi and Lasal)," Bataoil told reporters. "Our (PNP) chief is focused on the recapture of Al-Ghozi."

However, he added that the PNP will not be setting a deadline for the recapture of Al-Ghozi and Lasal. "We will not give promises, statements or (a) timetable of that sort. We will just do what is expected on the ground."

He issued the statement a day after the independent fact-finding committee led by former justice secretary Sedfrey Ordoñez absolved PNP Chief General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. of any liability over the July 14 escape of the three Muslim extremists from the maximum security PNP Intelligence Group (IG) detention center in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Maximum Penalty

While the President was convinced by the findings reported by the Ordoñez commission that there was "no collusion" between the escapees and their jailers, she has ordered government prosecutors to seek the maximum penalty against the escapees’ guards.

"Our worst fears of collusion are somewhat allayed by these findings, but this will not diminish our resolve to punish the negligent custodians," Mrs. Arroyo said in a statement.

"I have directed our prosecutors to move for the maximum penalty against Al-Ghozi’s wayward jailers," she said.

The President also reaffirmed the government’s determination to recapture Al-Ghozi now that questions about his escape have been settled by the Ordoñez commission. "Meanwhile, the threat of Al-Ghozi continues to be there and we will hunt him down until he is accounted for."

"The Filipino people and our international allies are on the lookout and he will be caught in the dragnet, one way or another," she said.

This developed as Ebdane ordered the speedy conduct of summary dismissal proceedings against the seven IG personnel held responsible for the jailbreak.

PNP Directorate for Personnel and Records chief Director Jose Lalisan said the PNP is pursuing the "pre-charge" investigation for the administrative case against the seven police officers held responsible for the escape.

"The orders have been issued to hear the (administrative) case as (quickly) as possible," Lalisan said. "Due process will be observed."

Lalisan was referring to the serious neglect of duty charges filed against PO1 Ronald Palmares, Superintendents Reuben Galban, Carlito Natanauan and Guillermo Danipog, SPO3 Ruperto Principe, SPO3 Benegarde Campo and Chief Inspector James Dime.

The administrative cases are separate from the criminal charges recommended by the Ordoñez commission and are now under the PNP Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management.

Once found guilty, Lalisan said, the seven police officers will be dismissed from the police service and stripped of all benefits.