How love began between bandit Dongon, policewoman Nobleza

Love bloomed between suspected terrorist Reenor Loy Dongon and policewoman Supt. Maria Cristina Nobleza at the detention facility of a presidential anti-crime group in Camp Crame as early as 2013.

According to PNP chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, Dongon was detained at the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) after he was arrested in Marawi and brought to Manila.

Nobleza, Dela Rosa said, was then assigned at the PAOCC and was tasked to interrogate Dongon.

“‘Yung nakakulong si Dongon noon, siya (Nobleza) ‘yung taga-interview kasi miyembro siya, naka-assign siya ng PAOCC," Dela Rosa said in a news conference.

"Habang nakakulong si Dongon, they let the love begin,” he added.

Nobleza, deputy regional director of the Davao Regional Police Office's Crime Laboratory, was arrested in Bohol over the weekend with the suspected bomb expert Dongon alias Kudre, her alleged boyfriend.

Dela Rosa had earlier said Nobleza was not arrested for her romantic relationship with Dungon but for their failure to stop at a checkpoint when flagged down by authorities, and her alleged connection with the Abu Sayyaf, a terrorist group.

Dongon is said to be a relative of slain Abu Sayyaf founder Abdurajik Abubakar Janjalani.

The police said upon her arrest, Nobleza threw her cellphone away but it was recovered by authorities. The cellphone allegedly had a record of a text message from an Abu Sayyaf member asking for rescue.

Nobleza claimed that she was on vacation in Bohol.

Dela Rosa said Dongon was arrested in 2013 by joint operatives of the CIDG, Intelligence Group, Philippine Army, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Region 10 police in a raid in Marawi.

“Ni-raid sila noong 2013 ng CIDG, ARMM, Region 10, IG, at Army doon sa Marawi for bomb making. May nakuha doon na mga bomb making materials, pati baril at bala, IED,” Dela Rosa said.

Dongon was also said to be a student of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, was brought to Manila and detained at PAOCC.

He said it was when Dongon was brought to Manila that the probers found out that he was involved in the bombing of Maxandrea Hotel in Cagayan de Oro in 20.

Dongon was charged with double murder for that incident but no warrant of arrest has been issued at that time.

He said charges were also filed against Dongon for the possession of explosives but the prosecutor dismissed it due to technicality.

“Pinaylan siya ng kaso sa piskalya but due to technicality, dinismis ng piskal ang kaso kaya free as a bird na naman siya,” Dela Rosa said.

The PNP chief said only after Dongon was released that the warrant of arrest for the double murder charges was issued by the court.

“Noong lumabas siya saka lumabas yung warrant of arrest for the Maxandrea bombing so wanted na ulit siya pero nakalabas na,” Dela Rosa said.

Asked why the PNP failed to monitor Dongon and Nobleza's at that time, Dela Rosa said the police received bits of information but added the organization could not meddle because Dongon was "a project" of the PAOCC.

“You better ask the people from PAOCC, ‘yung mga tao ni President Aquino noon. Sa kanilang  project ‘yun e hindi sa amin," Dela Rosa said.

"Although nasa IG (Intelligence Group) ako noon, off limits kami sa project ng PAOCC, hindi namin alam, lately na lang namin nalalaman,” he added.

“Merong namonitor pero iniimbestigahan pa. Kaso yung PAOCC is under the Office of the President, hindi yan under the PNP let’s make that clear," Dela Rosa said.

"Although the people na nagmamando sa PAOCC, most of them are policemen but directly under the President sila. ‘Yung chief PNP walang pakialam sa kanila kaya hindi namin pwedeng pakialaman yung trabaho nila,” he added.

Dela Rosa said that Nobleza, an Islam convert, was married to another member of the PNP, a police attache assigned at Pakistan.

The two have since been estranged. —NB, GMA News