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PNP custodial unit chief sacked after De Lima hostage crisis

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Benise Balaoing, ABS-CBN News

MANILA – The head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial unit has been relieved of his post following the brief hostage-taking of Senator Leila de Lima by three detainees who attempted to escape their detention facility.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/09/22/3-crame-detainees-killed-in-foiled-escape-plan-de-lima-briefly-held-hostage">3 Crame detainees killed in foiled escape plan; De Lima briefly held hostage</a></li></ul>“Administratively po ay ni-relieve po natin yung chief ng custodial service unit para sa ganoon po ay malaman po natin kung ano ho ba yung mga naging lapses po sa pag-implement ng security po sa custodial center natin,” PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. told TeleRadyo.(Administratively, we have relieved the chief of our custodial service unity while we investigate what lapses were committed in our securoty implementation.)The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and forensic teams are already investigating the incident. The country’s top cop also said they transferred De Lima to the PNP General Hospital on Sunday night to help the lawmaker rest and recover from what happened.“Kagabi po ay nilipat po natin siya pansamantala sa PNP General Hospital para makapagpahinga po siya, habang inaayos ang kanyang facility kasi doon nga po nangyari yung insidente.”(We have transferred her to the PNP General Hospital while we try to fix up her facility.)“So medyo nililinis pa po at inaayos and naghahanap po tayo ng ibang facility doon sa loob ng custodial center na pwede po niyang paglipatan para yun pong kahit papaano, hindi po niya naaalala yung naging insidente doon sa kanyang facility po,” he added.(We are cleaning it up, and we are looking foir another facility within the custodial center so she can somehow forget about what happened.)Azurin said he has instructed his men to conduct a physical security check of the PNP Custodial Center and to review their standard operating procedures for running it.“We will ensure also na no material that would harm anybody would be allowed to enter na po doon sa Custodial Center dahil maaaring ito po ay nailusot po ng mga ibang mga dumadalaw po sa kanila na hindi ho natingnan ng ating mga guwardiya during inspection po,” he said.<div>Lawmaker says Congress may probe De Lima hostage-taking</div>Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros said the PNP must thoroughly investigate and explain why a fellow detainee was able to hold De Lima hostage. “Kailangan talaga ng buong publiko ng mga sagot, dapat kaagad matukoy, at managot sa batas ang lahat ng sangkot sa pangyayaring ito,” the opposition lawmaker said.(The public needs answers, we need to identify all those involved in this incident and hold them accountable before the law.)“Sana, at ito hiling nating lahat, na dagdagan ng PNP security arrangements sa palibot ni Sen. Leila at siguruhin nila nang wala ng katulad na insidenteng mangyari laban sa kanya, ni sa ibang detainees,” she added.(We hope PNP can increase the security around De Lima and make sure this doesn&#x27;t happen again to her or the other detainees.)“Yung paliwanag galing sa PNP unang-una kailangan maging kapani-paniwala unang-una kay Sen. Leila kasi siya yung naging target ng ganyang hostage taking at siya yung nakadanas ng napaka-traumatic na karanasan na iyon,” Hontiveros noted.“At kahit pa maging katanggap-tanggap na sa kanya ay possible pa ring meron pa ring i-inquire ang Senado o ang Kongreso sa pangyayaring ito.”(PNP&#x27;s explanation must be acceptable to De Lime because she&#x27;s the one who went through the traumatic incident. And even if it is acceptable to her, Senate or Congress can still investigate this.)Azurin said, however, that it seems like the hostage-taking of De Lima by former Abu Sayyaf Group member Feliciano Sulayao Jr. aka &quot;Abu Muslim&quot; was not planned.“Nung (yung) dalawa ay bumagsak na po, pagtatakbo nitong si Sulayao, nai-lock naman po ng ating pulis yung exit…so na-force ngayon itong si Sulayao na tumakbo po sa ibang direksyon and unfortunately po ay natumbok nga po niya yung facility ni Senator de Lima, na during that time, nung nakausap ko si Senator de Lima, 5:30 to 6 o&#x27;clock ng umaga kasi nagbubukas na siya to conduct (her) morning prayers po.”(After his 2 companions fell, Sulayao ran, but a cop locked the exit, forcing Sulayao to run in another direction, and unfortunately he chanced upon De Lima&#x27;s cell. When I spoke to her, she told me she opens her door between 5:30 to 6 a.m. for her morning prayers.)“So doon po napadpad itong si Sulayao and he took advantage of the senator na gawin po siyang hostage. So it’s not a premeditated na ano hindi ho naplano kasi hindi naman ho sila nagkikita-kita at hindi naman sila magkakakilala, it just so happened ng ana doon po siya napadpad at siyempre alam po niya kung ano mangyayari sa kanya, kaya hinostage po niya si Senator De Lima,” he said.(So Sulayao took advantage of the opportunity. It was not premeditated because the detainess don&#x27;t meet or know each other. he just happened to end up there and he held her hostage because he knew what was gonna happen, <div>--TeleRadyo, 10 October 2022</div>

The head of the PNP custodial unit has been relieved of his post following the brief hostage-taking of Senator Leila de Lima by three detainees who attempted to escape their detention facility.

PNP custodial unit chief sacked after De Lima hostage crisis

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PNP custodial unit chief sacked after De Lima hostage crisis

Benise Balaoing,

ABS-CBN News

Published October 10, 2022 10:28 AM PHT

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PNP custodial unit

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sinibak sa puwesto

relieved

leila de lima

hostage taking

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