A Quezon City court has approved the transfer of detention of most of the so-called “Morong 43’’ to jail maximum security jail facility at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto Torres, Army spokesman, said only 38 of the Morong 43 will be moved from the 2nd Infantry Division (ID) camp in Tanay, Rizal to the PNP Custodial Center since the remaining five will be under the custody of Major General Jorge Segovia, 2nd ID commander.

The decision of QC Regional Trial Court Branch 78 acting Judge Cerrado Cesar was stipulated in the motion filed by Segovia.

"The commitment order for the 38 is addressed to the PNP custodial center warden at Camp Crame. While for the five who opted to avail of the amnesty, custody is given by the court to General Segovia," said Torres.

It was recalled that the five were among those who admitted that they are indeed members of the New People's Army (NPA) holding training in Morong, Rizal at the time of their arrest in a raid conducted by joint police and military operatives on February 6.

They are now cooperating with the government and the decision to separate them from the 38 is deemed a wise decision allegedly to prevent them from being harassed by the rest of their companions who still claim that they are merely health workers.

But the court order seemingly became another headache for the PNP as a police official said that the Custodial Center is already overcrowded.

"It can only accomodate 90 inmates and there are more than 140 detainees currently staying there," said Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman.

"But since it was the decision of the court, we are obliged to follow. We will just address the problem later," he added.

One of the measures they are currently resorting to, Espina said, is to request the transfer of all the 49 people involved in the Maguindanao massacre to a jail facility in Bicutan, Taguig.

The 49 inmates implicated in the massacre include 47 policemen and two militiamen whose guns were found to have been used in the killing of 57 journalists and civilians in Ampatuan town on November 23 last year.