NPA commander bolts E. Samar jail

TACLOBAN CITY — A manhunt is on for a communist rebel leader who bolted the Eastern Samar provincial jail in the capital town of Borongon Saturday night, barely eight hours after President Arroyo had left the Eastern Visayas province.

Police said the escapee, Gregorio Tadeos, 45, alias Commander Amer, a leader of the New People’s Army’s Efren Martirez Command, poked a caliber .38 revolver on one of the two jail guards on duty that night.

Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone immediately formed a four-man panel headed by provincial jail warden Eduardo Apelado to probe Tadeos’ escape.

"I cannot tolerate (such an) incident in my administration," he said.

Evardone said Tadeos had led a hunger strike at the provincial jail to demand adequate food and better treatment for the inmates.

An officer of the Army’s 801st Infantry Brigade based in Hinabangan, Samar revealed that Tadeos was apparently given special treatment since he was allegedly seen going in and out of the provincial jail.

The 801st IB officer wondered where the detained NPA leader got the caliber .38 revolver. "We want the jail authorities to be held responsible for his escape," he said.

Tadeos was formerly detained at the 801st IB headquarters but was transferred to the provincial jail last February due to the demand of his legal counsel, Felice Derion, a human rights lawyer based in Oras, Eastern Samar.

Tadeos was arrested in Calbayog City in December 2004 by a joint team of the 801st IB, 14th Infantry Battalion and 8th Infantry Division.

He faces charges of robbery in band, multiple homicide and multiple murder in various courts in Oras and Borongan towns.

According to military records, Tadeos is the treasurer of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA’s Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.