NBI inmate says agents sold off his properties

MANILA, Philippines - A detainee, who escaped from the National Bureau of Investigation jail in February and surrendered to the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) last Friday, said yesterday he fled because the agents who arrested him allegedly tricked him into signing papers that enabled them to sell off his properties.

INC officials contacted the NBI to facilitate the return of Albert Mata on April 8.

In an interview with reporters, Mata said he bolted the NBI jail on Feb. 9 because he could no longer “stomach” what his arresting officers had done. The names of the arresting officers were withheld pending an investigation being made by the NBI internal affairs division (IAD).

“They took all my properties. They deceived me and asked me to sign papers to sell all the properties which I owned,” said Mata, who faces murder and robbery charges before a Marikina court and was a “mayor” or head detainee at the NBI jail before his escape.

He said among the properties he lost to the NBI agents are a condominium unit, two vehicles and the stall and franchise of a business.

There were also reports that Mata was escorted out of his cell to withdraw money from his automated teller machine account, but Mata refused to comment on the issue.

Mata said the NBI agents allegedly threatened to kill his son after selling off his properties.

“All those properties are for the future of my son, but they were all lost. So I texted her that she has no heart though she is also a mother,” he said, referring to one of the NBI agents.

NBI deputy director for investigation services Rickson Chong said he has ordered an investigation into the allegations made by Mata and directed the IAD to effect the “sequestration” of all of Mata’s money and properties for the investigation.

Mata and another detainee, Leovince Acapulco, sawed off the bars of a window at the back of their detention cell and reportedly used a face towel to cover a surveillance camera to avoid being detected. Acapulco is being tried by a Bulacan court for kidnapping.

NBI spokesperson Cecilio Zamora said Mata was arrested and brought to the NBI jail on April 30, 2010 while Acapulco was detained starting Oct. 16, 2010 until their escape last February.