North Cotabato 'high-risk' fugitive recaptured

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- After four months in hiding, finally, a fugitive considered the most ‘high risk’ among the 158 inmates that bolted from the Cotabato district jail here, was apprehended by authorities on Friday.Melvin Tiangao Casangyao, who faces several drug trafficking charges, was recaptured on Friday, around 820 a.m., inside his hideout at Barangay Onica, this city.Casangyao, intelligence reports said, is one of the leaders of a big-time drug syndicate operating in North Cotabato and other parts of south and central Mindanao.Based from the evidences gathered by the Cotabato Police Provincial Office (CPPO), it was Casangyao that ‘hired’ the group of Commander Derby to rescue him on January 4, 2017.Derby is also a fugitive who escaped from the provincial jail last year.The transactions, accordingly, happened when Derby was still inside prison.On January 4, Derby and his group stormed the jail and rescued Casangyao and more than 150 other inmates, many of them facing drug trafficking charges.Among those killed during the jail attack was Jail Officer 1 Hexel Rey Desibo.Also killed was Barangay councilman Satar Manalundong of Barangay Patadon, this city, who was mistakenly identified as among those that masterminded the attack.Until now, relatives of Manalundong are still seeking justice for his death. They denied accusations hurled against him.Of the 158 inmates that escaped from prison, only 50 were recaptured by authorities since they launched the manhunt four months ago.