SC to prison exec: Find 'missing' convict

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Bureau of Corrections to locate a “missing" convict sentenced to life imprisonment who was supposed to be in its custody. The high court en banc, in a two-page resolution, ordered the bureau's Assistant Director for Prisons and Security Julio Arciaga to report within 10 days on the wherabouts of Jose "Kalbo" De Lara, including if he is in another detention facility. Last year, Arciaga told the high court that it had no record De Lara had been detained at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa. The prisons official returned to the Supreme Court the notice of its Oct 23, 2006 decision affirming De Lara's conviction for robbery with murder and qualified illegal possession of firearms. Arciaga also said the bureau will check with other prisons if a convict named Jose De Lara was admitted and still under detention. De Lara was convicted by the Caloocan City regional trial court branch 128 for robbery with homicide, qualified illegal possession of firearm and robbery for forcibly acquiring a Norinco 12 Gauge Shotgun and killing its owner. The high court modified the lower court's ruling and sentenced him to suffer reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment for murder and eight years imprisonment for two counts of theft. -GMANews.TV>