Over disappearance of Cebuano boy’s kidnap suspect CIDG-7 execs in hot water

CEBU CITY — Regional police director Avelino Razon Jr. ordered officials of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) investigated in connection with the disappearance of one of the suspects in the kidnapping of a Cebuano boy.

Oster Repollo, one of the suspects in the abduction of Ryan James Yu in July last year but expressed his intention to turn state witness, was reported the other day to have escaped from the CIDG, which was supposedly holding him under custody.

Razon, however, told The Freeman that Repollo did not escape but that somebody from the CIDG gave him permission to go home.

"Wala pa kaming pangalan kung sino ang nagbigay ng pahintulot (We still do not know who allowed him to leave)," he said.

But Repollo, who was arrested a little over a month after the kidnapping, sent a text message yesterday to one of the members of the CIDG.

In his text message, Repollo said he has no plans to escape nor is he hiding. He said he is just visiting a friend somewhere in the north.

The CIDG was quick to downplay the possible implications of Repollo’s disappearance to the ongoing trial of the Yu kidnapping case.

CIDG lawyer Enrique Lacerna said Repollo’s disappearance will not affect the prosecution’s case since Repollo has given his testimony in court and does not have any obligation with the court anymore.

The same, however, could not be said for the CIDG officials who were supposed to have direct custody of Repollo.

Regional Trial Court Judge Pampio Abarintos, who is handling the Yu kidnapping case, told The Freeman that police officers who have direct custody of Repollo may be cited for contempt as a result of his disappearance.

Initial findings

Razon said the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division will investigate several CIDG-Region 7 officials and operatives.

"Sa initial report namin, hindi naman lumalabas na tumakas si Repollo. Apparently, parang binigyan siya ng permiso na umuwi (Our initial findings show that Repollo did not escape. Apparently, somebody gave him permission to go home)," Razon said.

Razon promised to check whether CIDG chief Edwin Diocos lied about the status of Repollo.

In an earlier interview, Diocos admitted that Repollo was allowed to "take a vacation," saying he has full confidence in Repollo.

But Diocos changed his tune in an interview with radio station dyLA, where he vehemently denied that he allowed Repollo to leave the CIDG.

Not in hiding

Yesterday, PO3 Delfin Bontuyan of the CIDG revealed to The Freeman that Repollo sent him a text message the other day, two days after his disappearance.

Bontuyan said Repollo was in Danao City and promised to return to the CIDG-Region 7 headquarters tomorrow.

But the CIDG appeared not to be counting on Repollo’s promise to return. As of press time, it was still pursuing its manhunt for Repollo.

A check with Camp Sotero Cabahug showed that Repollo took all his belongings and clothes with him, apparently indicating that he has no intentions of returning.

The CIDG-Region 7 sent operatives to track down Repollo in Danao City but came back to the city empty-handed.

No effect

Meanwhile, CIDG lawyer Lacerna said the prosecutors in the Yu kidnapping case have nothing to worry about the disappearance of Repollo.

Lacerna said Repollo had appeared in court five times and had been cross-examined by the defense panel.

Repollo earlier tagged fugitive policeman Engelberto Durano as the mastermind of the kidnapping of the 11-year old Yu last July.

Lacerna said Repollo is still a suspect despite his request to turn state witness. He said the CIDG has asked the court to drop Repollo from the list of suspects.

He said Repollo has applied to be placed under the Department of Justice’s witness protection program.

Contempt

Judge Abarintos, for his part, said the police officers who have direct custody of Repollo may be cited for contempt for delaying the administration of justice, adding that obstruction of justice is a contemptuous act.

"I was surprised. I never expected it to be that way. The fact that he is a detention prisoner (and has an application as state witness) does not necessarily mean that he can just be released from the CIDG," Abarintos said.

He, however, said the court will act on the case only if either the prosecution or the defense will file a motion for the court to investigate Repollo’s disappearance.

"There should be a motion from either the prosecution or the defense. The court cannot just rely on newspaper articles," he said.

Abarintos agreed that Repollo’s disappearance will not necessarily affect the proceedings of the kidnapping case since his testimony had been heard in court.

Special treatment

Also yesterday, lawyer Salvador Solima accused Diocos of giving special treatment to Repollo.

Solima said the CIDG did not detain Repollo unlike the five other accused, who have been languishing at the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center since their arrest.

According to Solima, instead of placing Repollo in the CIDG stockade, Diocos had tapped Repollo as a cook.

Cebu City prosecutor Jose Pedrosa confirmed Solima’s claim.

Pedrosa recalled that when he attended a party at the CIDG office, he saw Repollo not in the detention cell but in the kitchen.

Pedrosa admitted that Repollo’s not being in a detention cell is irregular because he has not yet been discharged as one of the accused.

Pedrosa promised to look into Repollo’s disappearance.

He, however, said Repollo’s absence will no longer affect the prosecution’s evidence against PO3 Engelberto Durano, Jovencio Camado, Edgar Manimog, Roberto Galope and brothers Efren and Henry Hernandez because he had already testified in court.

Nevertheless, Pedrosa said he is afraid that it might affect Repollo’s application to the witness protection program. — Freeman News Service