DOJ seeks hold departure vs Jaylo

The Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) yesterday to issue a hold departure order (HDO) against former police captain Reynaldo Jaylo, who is now the subject of manhunt by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for charges of serious illegal detention and qualified bribery, all non-bailable offenses.

In a two-page ex-parte manifestation, Senior State Prosecutor Emmanuel Velasco claimed Jaylo, former chief of the defunct Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force, is preparing to leave the country to escape criminal culpabilities.

A warrant of arrest against the PAIRTF chief was issued last December by a Manila Judge.

"Intelligence reports reaching the Department of Justice revealed that the accused is hiding in several locations in Central Luzon and is preparing to leave the country in order to escape criminal culpabilities," Velasco said.

He said Jaylo continues to defy the criminal justice system by choosing to be a fugitive from justice.

"It is most respectfully submitted that this honorable court issue an order directing the Bureau of Immigration to issue a hold departure order against the above-named accused to prevent him from further frustrating the ends of the criminal justice system," Velasco said in his manifestation.

Velasco said the seriousness of the charges filed against Jaylo has prompted Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to inform no less than President Arroyo about the case.

"Jaylo and his cohorts have been using the name of the Office of the President and the defunct task force in their nefarious extortion activities, both from illegal recruiters as well as their victims, in the guise of carrying out the government’s anti-illegal recruitment drive," Gonzalez told Mrs. Arroyo in a letter dated Jan. 3.

The case against Jaylo stemmed from the complaint filed by a couple arrested by Jaylo’s men and detained last October. They claimed Jaylo’s men demanded P200,000 in exchange for the dropping of the charges against them.