MANILA – It would be better for suspected terrorists who are still under trial to be detained in custodial facilities of the military which offers maximum security, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin, Jr. said Tuesday, after a breakout attempt and hostage crisis over the weekend at the PNP Custodial Center.

• 3 Crame detainees killed in foiled escape plan; De Lima briefly held hostage

“Honestly po, if we have our way, talaga naman hong hindi na natin dapat na dine-detain ang mga ‘yan dito po sa Camp Crame,” Azurin told ANC’s “Headstart.”

(Honestly, if we have our way, these men shouldn't be detained at Camp Crame.)

“Ang nangyayari po kasi is sometimes, or most of the time, yung court po kasi ang nag-o-order sa inyong kapulisan na si ganito ay d'yan made-detain for some reasons or another. In the past naman po, ang mga nade-detain po dito sa atin ay yung mga dati pong nasa gobyerno po facing different criminal charges,” he said.

(What happens is the court sometimes, or most of the time, says this suspect must be detained here for one reason or another. In the past, we only get custody of government officials facing criminal charges.)

“Mas maganda po siguro kung sa AFP na lamang po natin sila i-detain, para nang sa ganoon ay talaga hong maximum facility po ang, at saka yung security po talaga ay medyo magagampanan po ng ating mga kasundaluhan.”

(It is better for them to be with the Armed Forces of the Philippines so they can be held inside a maximum facility, and security is ensured by our soldiers.)

Police have said that Arnel Cabintoy, Feliciano Sulayao Jr. aka "Abu Muslim," and Idang Susukan, all of the Abu Sayyaf Group, attempted to escape from the PNP Custodial Center early Sunday morning, but were neutralized by responding policemen.

They first attacked the policeman serving their breakfast, and Sulayao later briefly held hostage former Sen. Leila De Lima, who was in another area in the facility.

• ‘Near-death experience’: How ex-Sen. Leila de Lima survived a hostage-taking

De Lima described it as her “near-death experience,” and some groups have voiced their concerns about the former lawmaker being in the same facility as men charged with murder, kidnapping, arson, and illegal firearms possession.

The 63-year-old critic of former President Rodrigo Duterte has been in jail since 2017 for drug charges that she regards as political persecution.

• Release of ex-Sen. De Lima sought anew after brief hostage-taking incident

Azurin reiterated that the hostage-taking of De Lima was not planned by her fellow detainees, based on their assessment of the circumstances of the incident.

“Magkahiwalay na magkahiwalay po naman. At malayo po yung distance po ng kulungan po ni Senator De Lima at saka yung mga Abu Sayyaf po. At hindi ho sila nagkakakilanlan... Magkahiwalay po ang babae at lalaki sa detention hall nila,” he said.

(The Abu Sayyaf Group member's cells are far from those of De Lima. They don't know each other. Men and women are separated in the facility.)

• PNP enhances security measures at custodial facility, says chief

After the killing of the three Abu Sayyaf detainees, seven, including De Lima, remain under the custody of the PNP Custodial Center.

--ANC, 11 October 2022