Cardeño tired of being on the run — Maganto

Fugitive police officer Rafael Cardeño is tired of running away from the law, Chief Superintendent Romeo Maganto, Task Force Baron commander, said yesterday.

"Pagod na siya sa katatago (He’s tired of hiding)," Maganto said in a phone interview. He added that Cardeño is "very mobile in Metro Manila."

Cardeño, the alleged mastermind in the killing of Baron Alexander Cervantes, has been on the run for more than a year. He was said to have expressed his willingness to surrender through his lawyer, Homobono Adaza.

Maganto and Adaza met at a Quezon City hotel last week to discuss Cardeño’s surrender. Cervantes, the self-styled spokesperson of the Young Officers’ Union (YOU), was shot dead on Dec. 31, 2001 along Alabang-Zapote Road in Las Piñas City.

Maganto, who also led the arrest of student killer Rolito Go, said there is a one-week deadline for Cardeño’s "voluntary surrender." He also assured the safety of Cardeño and his family once he surrenders.

Maganto had said Cardeño’s impending surrender is a "positive and good development," especially since the trial of the Cervantes case is set to begin on Jan. 15.

The Cervantes’ family lawyer, Leonard de Vera, had emphasized that the sworn statements of Cardeno’s three other co-accused would be useless if he remains at large.

Former Marine Sergeant Joseph Mostrales, the self-confessed gunman, and lookouts Erlindo Torres and Jaime Centeno, tagged Cardeño as the alleged mastermind in the killing. Also charged before the sala of Las Piñas Executive Judge Bonifacio Sanz Maceda is Sonny Camacho, a Land Transportation Office (LTO) employee. Camacho is still at large as well. He allegedly set up Cardeño to be in the place where he was killed.

The Maganto-led task force was created by President Arroyo upon the request of the Cervantes family.

Maganto will report directly to the President through the office of National Security Adviser Roilo Golez.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. welcomed the alleged plan of fugitive Superintendent Rafael Cardeño to "voluntarily surrender" to authorities after a manhunt was launched against him by the PNP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

"Well, we have to consider that, but unless there is positive indications then we cannot talk about it," he said.