Ebdane loses cool, ‘invites’ reporter to jail

Philippine National Police chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. lost his cool yesterday when a radio reporter asked him if four newly captured Abu Sayyaf suspects would not eventually walk out of their detention cells at PNP headquarters at Camp Crame.

The question posed by dzEC senior reporter Vic Somintac was based on past incidents, the embarrassing highlight of which was the escape of convicted Jemaah Islamiyah terrorist Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi and two Abu Sayyaf suspects from Camp Crame in July last year.

Ebdane glared at Somintac and challenged him to have himself jailed at Camp Crame in order to test the security at the new detention center. "Maganda siguro magpakulong ka doon!" Ebdane snapped.

Ebdane’s flare-up occurred during the press conference following the arrest of suspected Abu Sayyaf members Hamsen Manatad Limbong alias Hassan Sayyaf Kosovo, Redendo Kain Dellosa alias Habib Akhmad Dellosa, Abdurasid Lim alias Abu Hanifa, and Radzmar Sangkula alias Michael Saavedra.

Present at the briefing were Ebdane’s immediate superior, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina, Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Armed Forces chief Gen. Narciso Abaya.

President Arroyo was no longer around as she had just left the Kalayaan Lounge at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City to take a chartered Lear jet for a campaign sortie in Camarines Sur.

Ermita said the four suspects were taken to the Camp Crame detention center.

"Definitely they are in the custody of the PNP. As to where (they would be jailed) later... there would have to be an exchange of intelligence between the PNP and AFP," he said.

Lina did not admonish Ebdane for losing his cool, instead saving the day for the beleaguered PNP chief.

"The PNP has a new detention center within Crame. That is also the result of the instructions of President Gloria after those (escape) incidents to consolidate all the detention facilities inside Crame," Lina said.

"So there is a new one already. The structures are already finished," Lina said. Aside from Al-Ghozi, drug lords and other fugitives have also escaped from the old police jail.

Although Ebdane’s sarcastic retort drew laughter at the press conference, Somintac persisted with his question seeking a more decent reply from the PNP chief.

Ebdane cited the PNP has put up a new custodial center which "conforms with security requirements" and training of PNP personnel as per US standards.

"The only thing lacking now is the technical equipment that are needed for the purpose. So we are ready to house these high security threat prisoners," he pointed out. "Kaya sabi ko, testingan mo!!" he told Somintac.

The escape of Al-Ghozi nearly caused the ouster of Ebdane, who is retiring in December. But the PNP chief was designated head of the task force for the recapture of the fugitive, who was eventually killed by military agents in North Cotabato last Oct. 12. — Marichu Villanueva