Soldier convict heeds Duterte’s surrender order

Negro, who was a soldier when he committed the crimes in Minglanilla, Cebu in 1988, considers Duterte as his commander-in-chief. #GCTA #JesusRanocoNegroJr #returntoprison

Jesus Ranoco Negro Jr. at the Bogo City jail. (CDND)

CEBU CITY – A convicted felon from Bogo City is the first Cebuano convict to surrender after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered 1,914 inmates released from prison due to the controversial good conduct time allowance (GCTA) to turn themselves in within 15 days.

Jesus Ranoco Negro Jr. descended from his home in the upland village of Dakit in the northern city in Cebu when he saw Wednesday’s live telecast of Duterte ordering the released convicts to surrender to authorities.

Negro went to the Bogo Police Station on Wednesday night and was brought to the Regional Police Office 7 based in Camp Sergio Osmeña Sr. in Cebu City.

Negro, who was moved to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa in March 1990 after being committed to Cebu City Jail in 1988 due to eight counts of murder, claimed he had never been marked for bad behavior.

Although the NBP ordered him released on August 2018 due to good behavior, Negro, who was a soldier when he committed the crimes in Minglanilla, Cebu in 1988, considered Duterte as his commander-in-chief and saw it as his duty to obey his verbal order to the released convicts to go back to jail.

“Nalungkot ako at nasaktan kasi puwede pa lang bawiin… ang ganun dahil lang sa GCTA na ‘yan (I am saddened and hurt because of the fact that their freedom can be withdrawn due to GCTA controversy),” he said.

He claimed he never sought for his freedom but went out of prison due to his good behavior.

“Kami naman hindi naghahangad ng (kalayaan). Ako nga gusto ko nga gusto ko nga bitayin ako tapos na ang problema, nagkasala ako, nabitay ako, wala na, tapos na. Binigyan ako ng habang buhay (na pagkabilanggo), araw-araw na paghihirap sa kulungan. Para kang tinadtad ng pinong-pino ‘pag makita mo ang paglayo ng pamilya mo (We are not longing for our freedom. I wanted to be hung to end my problem. I committed the crime, I got hung, end of everything. I was meted with life imprisonment, day by day that I am languishing in jail. You feel like being chopped into pieces seeing your family is getting farther from you),” he said in a radio interview.

At the police station, Negro praised the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in its efforts to reforming the convicts inside the NBP through education.

“Napakalaking bagay ng BuCor na inedukar ‘yung mga bilanggo… sumasang-ayon ako dun. Suportahan din natin kasi ang mga bilanggo maski ano mang gawin natin diyan lalaya’t-lalaya din ‘yan. Kung ‘di natin bibigyan ng pagkakataon, saan tayo? (It’s a big deal for us that BuCor gave us education while in prison… I agree with it. Let’s support it because no matter what we do with them, they will get their freedom. If we don’t give them the second chance, where can we go?)” he said.