MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The bone found inside a septic tank within the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) is 鈥渘ot of human origin鈥� as it is 鈥渃onsistent with a chicken leg bone,鈥� the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Tuesday.
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Dir. Gen. Gregorio Capatang Jr. told a Senate hearing that missing inmate Michael Angelo Cataroja 鈥� whose remains were believed to have been found in the septic tank, based on earlier reports 鈥� may have actually escaped.
NBI medico-legal officer, Dr. Annalyne Dadiz, said the conclusion that the bone was 鈥渘ot of human origin鈥� was made after a process of forensic identification.
Dadiz explained that the bone was found lumped together with a piece of underwear, a lighter, and a razor.
鈥淲e have the following items 鈥� we have one piece of bone, not of human origin, one brief or underwear, and a razor,鈥� Dadiz said at the hearing conducted by the Senate committee on justice and human rights led by Senator Francis Tolentino,
鈥淗indi po buto ng tao (It was not a human鈥檚 bone). We conducted the process of forensic identification. Through this process, we made an elimination and comparison and we concluded that this is not a human bone,鈥� she added.
鈥淚n all likelihood, through the process of comparison, it is consistent with a chicken leg bone,鈥� Dadiz continued.
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When asked why it seemed larger in the photo, Dadiz explained that it might have only been zoomed out, as it was equal in size to a typical chicken bone.
Dadiz further said they could not identify the owner or the source of the other materials through forensic identification.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla previously claimed that the remains of Cataroja 鈥� reported missing on July 15 鈥� were found inside the septic tank of BuCor.
READ: Missing Bilibid inmate鈥檚 decapitated remains found 鈥� DOJ
But during a House public order and safety committee probe, former BuCor Deputy Director Angelina Bautista called Remulla鈥檚 pronouncement 鈥渇ake news鈥� because only a bone and other materials were discovered in the septic tank.
Cataroja escaped out of Bilibid?
In Tuesday鈥檚 same hearing, Catapang told senators that Cataroja may have escaped. He even noted the missing inmate鈥檚 skills being a car thief.
鈥淢alaki ang kutob ko na nakatakas. Kasi si Cataroja magnanakaw ng mga sasakyan, kaya niya mangalikot, so may tiyansa na nakalusot,鈥� said Catapang.
(I have a hunch that [he] escaped. Because Cataroja steals cars, he can pull tricks, so he possibly got through.)
鈥淢aliit po ito na tao eh, kayang ilagay na sa sako na maliit na akala ay basura鈥�,鈥� he added.
(He鈥檚聽 a small guy, you can fit [him] in a small sack that one would think it鈥檚 just trash.)
READ: Remulla expects to find more cadavers at Bilibid
Senator Bato Dela Rosa, for his part, chided Catapang over his theory, underscoring the probability that Cataroja could have escaped the NBP鈥檚 Maximum Security Compound.
鈥淜ung si Cataroja ay posibleng nakalayas, this is [the] maximum security compound, 鈥榩ag sinabing maximum talagang in or out [binabantayan],鈥� dela Rosa, a former head of BuCor, said.
(If Cataroja could have escaped, this is [the] maximum security compound when you say maximum, it鈥檚 really [guarded] in or out.)
READ: Senate probe into Bilibid mass grave sought
鈥淧ati nga tangke noong panahon ko, pati tangke ng truck pinatutusok-tusok ko pa 鈥榶an eh. Meaning there is some degree of laxity in the inspection of trucks delivering in or out, baka kailangan mag-improve,鈥� he added.
(Even a tank during my time, even the tank of the truck tank, I ordered to poke it. Meaning the inspection of trucks delivering in or out of the facility is lax. Maybe there鈥檚 a necessity to improve.)
Catapang consequently promised to tighten security within and around the NBP.