A total of 42 convicts, who were released through the good conduct time allowance (GCTA), were transported to the Abuyog Penal Colony in Southern, Leyte on Wednesday morning, September 18. CDND Photo / Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Two of the seven convicted men in the Chiong sisters rape-slay case have surrendered to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in Manila.
The surrender came a day before September 19, the deadline set by President Rodrigo Duterte when he called on the 1,914 convicts freed by virtue of the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law to submit themselves to the authorities or face the danger of being considered as fugitives of the law.
Police Brigadier Debold Sinas, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) said in a press conference on Wednesday afternoon, September 18, 2019, that they received information from BuCor Manila that Josman Aznar and Anthony Uy expressed their desire to surrender to the national agency.
READ: 2 more convicts in Chiong sisters’ rape-slay surrender
PRO-7 was waiting for the two convicts to surrender before the deadline ends on Thursday, September 19, because they have been given the directive to arrest them as fugitives if they fail to show up.
On Wednesday evening, September 18, Aznar and Uy appeared to BuCor Manila and surrendered to the authorities.
Two other freed convicts in the Chiong sisters rape-slay case, Ariel Balansag and Alberto Caño, already surrendered to the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila on September 4, 2019.
After the deadline, Sinas said they will still “gladly” accept surrenderers but they will start going after those who have not yet reported to the authorities.
He warned the convicts that the manhunt will begin on Thursday, September 19.
In these activities, Sinas said they will be active in finding and arresting the convicts.
Sinas urged the convicts to surrender even after the deadline to avoid complications in their cases.
Meanwhile, 42 of the 53 surrenderers in Cebu have been transported to BuCor Leyte on Wednesday morning, September 18, 2019.
READ: 42 GCTA surrenderees from Cebu shipped to Abuyog Regional Prison in Leyte
Sinas said the paperworks of rest of the surrenderers are still being processed in Cebu but they will also be transferred to another jail facility sometime soon. / celr