DOJ: No deal with Manero

Fugitive priest-killer Norberto Manero Jr. will not get anything from the go-vernment.

Justice Secretary Hernando Perez told reporters yesterday Manero, who escaped from the Saranggani jail last week, has no right to set conditions for his surrender.

"The government cannot agree to the demands of an escaped convict," he said. "We are not going to recommend that any of his demands be considered and instead we shall act as we have already asked the police agencies to intensify the search for Mr. Manero."

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Leandro Mendoza told reporters yesterday the manhunt for Manero will continue despite efforts to convince him to surrender.

In Saranggani, Manero’s lawyer Tomas Falgui III said yesterday the fugitive had written to President Arroyo listing several demands as conditions for turning himself in. These include the reinstatement of the conditional pardon granted him by ousted Pre-sident Joseph Estrada on Dec. 16, 1999.

On the other hand, Rep. Jose Apolinario Lozada (Lakas, Negros Occidental) urged the President to issue a shoot-to-kill order on Ma-nero.

"He murdered a priest, went to jail for it and escaped," Lozada said. "Now, he is asking the President to give him what he wants before he goes back to prison. That’s ridiculous! He, or anyone for that matter, has no business telling the President what to do. Imagine the gall of this convict."

Perez said the government cannot grant Manero’s demand that his conditional pardon be reinstated as Estrada already revoked it in February 2000 after authorities discovered that Manero had violated the rules of the Board of Pardons and Parole.

Manero was given a 40-year prison term in 1987 in connection with the murder of Italian priest Tullio Favali in 1985, but his sentence was lowered to 24 years by former President Fidel Ramos in 1997.

After serving more than 18 years in jail, he became eligible for pardon and Estrada freed him on a conditional pardon on Dec. 16, 1999.

In March, 2000, Manero was arrested and jailed on orders of Judge Jaime Infante of the Saranggani Regional Trial Court Branch 38 while undergoing trial for the murder of brothers Ali and Mamabawatan Mamalumpong in South Cotabato in 1977.

Falgui told said the fugitive has made the following demands to Gov. Priscilla Chiongbian:

• Dismissal of the Mamalumpong case.

• Speedy trial of overstaying detainees in the jail.

• Lift the suspension of the Saranggani jail warden and guards who were on duty when he escaped.

Falgui said the provincial government must carefully review Manero’s demand to lift the 60-day suspension of warden Renato Purisima, and jail guards Doroteo Felino Jr., Gabriel Axalan and Bernard Africa.

Falgui said he has not talked with Manero, but that he has been in touch with Julie Yee, who is believed to be the fugitive’s live-in partner.

Yee is the only one who knows Manero’s whereabouts, he added.

Manero is believed to have escaped from the Saranggani Jail through the baggage compartment of Yee’s car.

However, Falgui said Yee denied to him that she had a hand in the escape.

Known as Commander Bucay, Manero was the leader of the paramilitary group Ilaga during the height of the Muslim rebellion in the 1970s.

Meanwhile, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said in a statement Manero could have bolted jail with the help of "sinister political forces" so he could mount "terroristic activities" in the coming elections.

"If Manero had been contracted for an evil mission in the coming elections, he is certainly the wrong man for the job," he said. "Manero would probably get caught by the police easily even before he can act and pursue his mission."

Pimentel said Manero would find it hard to move around without being detected or recognized by the police and ordinary citizens since his face is familiar to the public.

He called for a full investigation on Manero’s escape and that jail personnel who had made it possible be charged in court. – Delon Porcalla, Jess Diaz, Allen Estabillo, Jaime Laude