Michael Cataroja (center)

A missing person deprived of liberty (PDL) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City has been arrested in Rizal province, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said on Thursday, Aug. 17.

 BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. confirmed that Michael Cataroja, 25, has been arrested in Rizal province since being reported missing for over a month.

Catapang said: “Arrested s’ya ng mga PNP operatives (he has been arrested by operatives of the Philippine National Police).”

He has ordered a “full blown investigation” on how Cataroja escaped from the NBP.

He said he has also created a board of inquiry “to find out who were responsible for Cataroja’s escape.”

BuCor had earlier said that “Cataroja was discovered missing during the counting (inventory) of PDLs in the morning of July 15 and his inmates looked for him the whole day as this was not the first time that he has gone missing only to show up the following day.”

 “However, after more than 12 hours and still could not find him, his inmates reported the incident to the Maxecom (Maximum Security Compound) duty officer,” it said.

It also said that Cataroja “was committed to the NBP on July 26, 2022 after he was sentenced from 12 years to 20 years for violations of Presidential Decree No. 612 or the Anti-Fencing Act Law.”

 “He has another pending case of carnaping before the Regional Trial Court Branch 71 of Antipolo City,” it noted.