Cadavero: Anywhere but NBP

MANILA, Philippines - Ozamis rob gang leader Ricky Cadavero has no problem getting jailed – just not in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), from which he escaped last Saturday.

“Take me to any city jail but not Bilibid,” he said an interview with The STAR after his arrest in October.

Cadevero, also known as Kambal, was arrested for allegedly masterminding the Alabang Town Center (ATC) heist last September. He is also wanted for 14 other robbery cases in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

He was detained in NBP after a Quezon City court sentenced him to serve 67 years in prison for a 2008 robbery of a Landbank branch in Quezon City. 

During the interview, Cadavero was calm and soft-spoken as he denied involvement in the ATC heist but refused to elaborate, saying he has no lawyer.  

However, he could not hide his anxiety over his sentence. “City jail is fine but not NBP. I was surprised about the conviction because my lawyer said everything was okay, that he is working on the dismissal of the case,” Cadavero said.

Cadavero spoke only of the court decision throughout the interview. He admitted to participating in the 2008 crime and then recanted before the interview ended.

Chief Inspector Giovanni Martinez, intelligence chief of the Muntinlupa police, said it is possible that Cadavero has enemies in the state penitentiary.

Martinez, who, for years has worked on cases involving Ozamis robbery group, noted that former gang members and those from Kuratong Baleleng gang are also detained in NBP.