MANILA — Even as an investigation is still ongoing on the escape attempt by three detainees at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center and the subsequent hostage-taking of ex-senator Leila de Lima, the PNP leadership said Monday it is already considering enhancing its policies at the said detention facility to avoid a repeat of Sunday's incidents.

Citing lapses they initially found, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. said personnel assigned at the PNP Custodial Center will start implementing the "buddy system" during the distribution of food, scrap the use of metallic utensils by the detainees, and strictly inspect visitors' personal belongings.

"Pito na lamang ang natitira doon. So definitely, yung separation, yung segregation, or yung mga ide-detail natin dun, sisiguraduhin natin na mas mahigpit na at saka mas proper ang pagbabantay sa custodial center natin ngayon," Azurin said in a press conference in Camp Crame.

(There are seven detainees left at the PNP Custodial Center. So definitely, there will be proper separation or segregation. And we will make sure our staff who will be detailed there will be stricter and more properly guard the custodial center now.)

Three Abu Sayyaf members attempted to bolt from the PNP Custodial Center early Sunday morning by attacking a policeman who served them their food. Two of them were promptly gunned down by a tower guard of the facility, while the remaining inmate briefly held De Lima hostage.

A ranking police official subsequently neutralized the hostage-taker.

• 3 Crame detainees killed in foiled escape plan; De Lima briefly held hostage

Azurin said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group - National Capital Region is investigating the incident to find out the lapses and accountabilities of the personnel assigned in the facility.

He said the chief of the facility, Lt. Col. Patrick Ramillano has so far been relieved from his post while the administrative investigation is ongoing.

• PNP custodial unit chief sacked after De Lima hostage crisis

"We are also trying to study, reevaluate existing policies and guidelines pertaining to visitation... as well as policies na dapat i-implement... in so far as security of the area, physical as well as individual security ng mga detainees natin doon," Azurin said.

Asked for his initial assessment on what happened, the PNP chief said it appears the personnel there have become lax probably because of familiarity with the detainees.

This calls for a need to strictly implement their security measures as stated in their checklist, Azurin said.

Implementing the "buddy system", he said, will ensure that help is available if one of the personnel is under attack.

And to prevent detainees from improvising deadly weapons, they will "most probably" be given plastic utensils for their meals, or may even have to just eat with their hands.

"Baka pwedeng kamay-kamay na lang," said Azurin.

The PNP chief did not say when the CIDG-NCR is expected to complete its probe.

"Let us not put our guard down. Ibig sabihin, kung ano yung dapat gawin ng bawat isa ay ‘wag nating i-relax o ‘wag tayong magpakakumpiyansa," said Azurin when asked on what the PNP learned from the incidents.

DE LIMA TO BE TRANSFERRED TO A NEW FACILITY

Meanwhile, Azurin said de Lima, who has been allowed by the PNP leadership to temporarily stay at the PNP General Hospital in consideration of her health condition, will eventually be moved to another facility in the PNP Custodial Center.

The former lawmaker and Commission on Human Rights chairperson must be in a new environment and no longer constantly see a place where a tragic incident took place, he said.

• De Lima camp mulls seeking home furlough after hostage-taking

Azurin also said the three slain detainees definitely did not plan to hold De Lima hostage when they attempted to escape.

"It was really incidental na siya yung natumbok ni (Feliciano) Sulayao (Jr.), that's why siya ang kinuha na hostage. Ang primary objective talaga ng tatlo ay makatakas, base sa kanilang pananamit. They were in rubber shoes," said Azurin.

"Talagang ang pinagplanuhan nila dun is yung pagpapakain (sa kanila). They did not expect na mabilis yung responde ng tower guard natin," he added.

(It was really incidental, that she was the one taken hostage by Sulayao. The trio's primary objective was to escape, based on their clothing. They had planned to do it during mealtime. They did not expect that our guard tower would respond quickly.)

• ‘Near-death experience’: How ex-Sen. Leila de Lima survived a hostage-taking

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, an ally of de Lima, had wondered why the latter's fellow detainees were able to enter her detention cell.

"How can armed detainees easily gain access to the custodial cell of Sen. Leila, which is deep inside the PNP national headquarters? What lapses in security must be addressed, and most of all, who is responsible for these lapses? We strongly deplore this breach of duty," she said in a statement on Sunday.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said an investigation into the incident is important to see "if she was the target of some nefarious plan."

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