(POLITIKO) Senator Jinggoy Estrada wants people to get sacked for allowing high-profile drug detainee Jose Adrian “Jad” Dera to slip out of his jail facility at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and have a “joyride” with NBI security.
Estrada said relieving the NBI Security Management Section chief isn’t enough.
“Heads should indeed roll. Higit pa sa dagok na idinulot nito para masira ang imahe ng NBI, mas nakakaalarmang isipin na may mga ganitong pangyayari at isang high-profile detainee ang nakakalabas pala ng kanilang pasilidad,” he said.
Dera and six NBI security personnel were arrested inside the NBI compound last June 21 after they were caught going back to the jail facility after Dera had a hotel dinner with his girlfriend.
The Senate committee on justice and human rights conducted a motu proprio investigation on the incident on Wednesday (July 5). Answering queries from senators, Dera admitted that he slipped out of the jail facility four times and had a “joyride” without a court order.
Five of the NBI guards told the Senate panel that they were just following orders from their boss Randy Godoy, who for his part said he was also following orders from NBI Security Division Chief Adrian Feudo.
Committee chairperson Senator Francis Tolentino demanded answers from NBI Director Medardo De Lemos as to why Dera was able to travel as far as Tagaytay and Calatagan, Batangas.
“Gusto natin malaman dito, Director, kung papaano po ito nangyayari—na kahit walang court order, kahit walang justification, kahit walang dahilan, medical man o hindi—ay nakakapunta ng Tagaytay, Calatagan sa Batangas, at maging sa high-class restaurants dito sa Metro Manila ang isang high-profile detainee,” Tolentino asked during the hearing.
“Paano nakakalabas ang isang high-profile detainee sa piitan ng National Bureau of Investigation kahit walang order ang husgado?” he added.