NCRPO fails to find Jaylo in Metro

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has conducted a series of raids for two days on known lairs of retired police Captain Reynaldo Jaylo in Metro Manila but failed to arrest him.

"We visited known lairs of Jaylo and the houses of his relatives and friends in Metro Manila but failed to find him," said Senior Superintendent Felipe Rojas, NCRPO intelligence chief. "We will now focus our search in the provinces."

Rojas said three teams from the NCRPO and another team from the Manila Police District (MPD) were tasked by NCRPO chief Director Vidal Querol to arrest Jaylo after Judge Nina Antonio-Valenzuela, of the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 28, issued an arrest warrant against him last week.

Two teams from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were also dispatched to arrest Jaylo.

Jaylo, who formerly heads the Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force (PAIRTF), was accused along with seven of his men of six counts of illegal detention. No bail was recommended.

The NBI will ask the Bureau of Immigration today to issue a hold departure order against Jaylo to prevent him from leaving the country.

"We are only implementing the court order," said Rojas. "We will be looking for him until he is accounted for."

Rojas refused to divulge the areas where his men "visited" so as not to jeopardize efforts to arrest Jaylo.He said that so far the NCRPO has not received any surrender feelers from Jaylo.

The NCRPO intelligence chief appealed to Jaylo to surrender and face the charges against him and his men.

"Being a former police officer, Jaylo knows the law. He must surrender and prove his innocence," he said.

When asked what his men would do should Jaylo decide to "fight it out" with law enforcers, Rojas said the NCRPO raiders from the Regional Special Action Unit (RSAU) and the Regional Intelligence and Special Operations Office (RISOO) are ready to defend themselves.

Rojas said he would coordinate with Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac, head of the Firearms and Explosives Division (FED), to determine whether Jaylo has a license to carry firearms . — Non Alquitran