PIERANTONI’S RELEASE BOLSTERS COLLUSION

BETWEEN PNP, PENTAGON GANG-- REMULLA

While the safe release  Italian Priest Giuseppe Pierantoni is a welcome a news, House Assistant Minority Floor Leader Gilbert Remulla today said the  circumstances behind his freedom is “very suspicious in nature” and appears to be a product of  a staged-managed rescue effort.

Remulla said that the Philippine National Police (PNP)  and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)should fully disclose the details of Pierantoni’s release amid conflicting versions  on how and why he was set free by his captors who are purportedly members of Pentagon Gang.

“ We are happy that Father Pierantoni is finally free. However, the conflicting statements of  the people who are claiming credit for his release gives me the feeling that we are not being told the real story,” Remulla said adding that even President Arroyo seemed to have been provided with inaccurate reports when she was told about the Italian’s priest’s release.

Remulla noted that the PNP leadership under Director General Leandro Mendoza immediately jumped to grab the credit by claiming that the Pentagon gang members were forced to abandon Pierantoni at the Boundary of Zamboanga del Sur and Sibugay Province  to elude pursuing PNP Special Forces elements.

But the  PNP’s claim was immediately contradicted  by Pierantoni who claimed that his captors were not on the run and was even delivered  to government representatives by a  “commander” of the Pentagon Gang.

 “ I am more inclined to believe Father Pierantoni’s story and this seems to provide a confirmation to previous reports that there is some kind of a collaboration between some Philippine National Police Officials and some members of the Pentagon gang,” he said.

According to Remulla, this suspicion was bolstered by previous reports that some PNP officials are in cahoots with the Pentagong Gang, a Mindanao-based criminal syndicate engaged in kidnapping, extortion and robbery. This was revealed several months ago by alleged Pentagon Gang leader Faizal Marohombsar, who even tagged some Malacañang officials as the ones who are brokering the release of Pierantoni.

Marohombsar even claimed that  he was given P5 Million by still unidentified Malacanang officials  to secure the release of the Italian priest.

 “ The  suspicious circumstances involving the release of  Father Pierantoni and the previous allegation made by arrested Pentagon Gang leader that some PNP officials are in cahoots with the bandits seems to provide a more logical explanation why there are conflicting accounts on how the Italian priest secured his freedom,” Remulla said.

He said the House Committee on Public Order and Security should immediately spearhead an investigation on this issue so that the PNP can fully account for its actions, particularly with regards to its rescue on Pierantoni.

“ We should find out the truth about all these. Allegations that Pentagong Gang members are in cahoots with some of our police and other government officials  seems to have found some kind of truthfulness with the mysterious circumstances that led to the release of Father Pierantoni,” Remulla said.