First in Cebu: Convict freed through GCTA surrenders to police in Bogo City

The Bogo City Police said that Jesus Ranoco Negro, 50, who was convicted of 8 counts of murder, surrenders to the police  after President Rodrigo Duterte that those who were released for Good Conduct Time must surrender or be rearrested. | Photo courtesy of Bogo City Police

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A freed convict  from Bogo City in northern Cebu turned up at the city’s police station on Wednesday, September 4, amid the pronouncement of President Rodrigo Duterte that all the convicts, who were released because of the controversial Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) program, need to surrender to the police.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Emely Santos, the chief of the Bogo City Police Station, said that Jesus Ranoco Negro Jr., 50, who was convicted for eight counts of murder 30 years ago and was freed in August 2018 under GCTA, surrendered to their station at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, a few hours after learning of the President’s warning on television.

Read more: Duterte to freed heinous crime convicts: Surrender now

Duterte gave an ultimatum to the 1,914 convicts released through GCTA to surrender within 15 days or else they would be considered as fugitives.

The President’s order also prompted the Cebu City Police Office chief, Police Colonel Gemma Vinluan, to order the Cebu City police officers to track down and bring to jail the three of the seven convicts of the murder of the Chiong sisters, who were released through the GCTA.

Read more: Vinluan to Cebu City cops: Bring back to jail released convicts of Chiong sisters’ slay

Meanwhile, Negro went home to Bogo after he was released on August 9, 2018. He has lived with his family in Barangay Dakit in Bogo City for the last year.

Santos said that Negro was convicted of eight counts of murder and frustrated murder in 1989, although the police had yet to know if these crimes were committed in Bogo.

Santos also praised Negro for following the President’s order to surrender to the police.

She, however, said that she was surprised with the surrender because they did not know that GCTA-freed convicts were living in the city.

With this, she reiterated her call to convicts released through the GCTA to surrender.

“Anhi na lang sila. Mas maayo gyod if mosurrender sila kay dali na lang. Kay if dili sila mosurrender pangitaon ug makit-an man gyod na namo sila. (They should come here in the station. It would be better if they would surrender now. If they won’t, we will look for them and we will find them),” said Santos.

Santos added they have yet to receive a list of any convict they would need to watch out for in Bogo City. But when they would have the list, she said they would track these convicts and bring them back to jail./dbs