PNP tracker teams to be deployed

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday revealed that it will “immediately” locate heinous crime convicts that have been freed from prison under the good conduct time allowance (GCTA) law.

This follows after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the convicts who were freed because of the GCTA to surrender.

“Tracker teams will now be deployed to locate these convicts, who will be treated as fugitives if they choose not to surrender,” the PNP said in a statement, adding that it will also “receive and account” those who will surrender within 15 days given to them by the President to show up.

In a press briefing in Malacañang also on Wednesday, Duterte ordered the convicts to surrender to the nearest police station or to the military, saying if they refuse to surrender, the government would consider them as fugitives.

“As fugitives from justice, these convicts can be subjected to warrantless arrest,” the PNP said.

Duterte even offered a P1 million bounty per heinous crime convict who refuses to surrender.

The President said, however, that convicts who will surrender will not be sent back to prison “because there was really a release order.” He even requested them to help in the probe on the anomalies in the implementation of the GCTA law.