A MANHUNT operation is on against a member of the Ybansan-Dinglasa carnapping and robbery group in Negros Oriental who escaped Monday from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility in Tanjay City.
The detainee, identified as Arnel Garnica Dohillo, was believed to have slipped past the guards when he was allegedly allowed to rinse his clothes outside the jail premises.
Dohillo was arrested in Barangay Matuog, Tayasan in Negros Oriental last August 25 for violation of the anti-carnapping law of 1972 by elements of the Provincial Highway Patrol Group headed by Senior Inspector Robelito Mariano and intelligence personnel from the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region after more than one year of looking for him in different parts of the province.
Recovered during his arrest 11 days ago were an unlicensed firearm and alleged illegal drugs.
Mariano said Dohillo is a member of the dreaded carnapping group in the province, whose leader, Ricardo Ybasan, also bolted the Negros Oriental Detention and Rehabilitation Center a few months ago but was killed in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, when he engaged with pursuing policemen in a shootout.
Mariano said they are in the process of neutralizing the group due to reports that many of its members are still actively involved in carnapping and robbery.
Meanwhile, a carnap suspect was meted a maximum of 17 years and four months in jail by the Regional Trial Court under presiding Judge Roderick Maxino last week.
Sentenced to suffer an imprisonment of 14 years and eight months as minimum to 17 years and four months as maximum and to pay moral damages of P10,000 and exemplary damages of P20,000 was Vicente "Burnok" Ortega Jr.
Ortega was found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating provisions of Republic Act 6359, otherwise known as the anti-carnapping law of 1972. He is a resident of Pulantubig, Dumaguete City. (PNA)