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Ex-hostage taker in hot water anew
The U.S. Probation Office has sought to revoke Edwin Pangelinan Blas’ supervised release for getting drunk and missing one counseling session. Blas served 180 months in federal prison for his role in the hostage taking of inmates at a prison in Susupe in 1999.
U.S. Probation Officer Gregory F. Arriola asked the U.S. District Court for the NMI last week to summon Blas to appear at a hearing and show cause why his supervised release should not be revoked.
Arriola said that Blas admitted to drinking alcohol on two separate occasions, missed a counseling session once, and was arrested last July 3 for criminal mischief.
Arriola disclosed that, according to a police report, a police officer was sent to a residence in San Vicente on July 3 at 10:08am to check on an intoxicated Blas. When the officer arrived, he observed burnt clothing on the ground and damage to the cabinet drawers, as well as scattered clothing in one of the rooms.
The officer questioned Blas’ wife but she did not want to talk.
Blas allegedly told the officer that he broke some items in the house because his wife wasn’t home. Blas told the officer that he had been drinking alcohol since the other day.
Blas was arrested but was released later that same day.
In August 1999, then U.S. District Court for the NMI Chief Judge Alex R. Munson sentenced Blas to 180 months in jail for hostage taking and for felon in possession of ammunition.
Blas completed his prison term on July 19, 2013. He arrived on Saipan on July 20, 2013. His five-year supervised release commenced on July 19, 2013.
On April 10, 2014, Blas’ supervised release conditions were modified to include that he refrain from the use of all alcoholic beverages.
Police described Blas as “a very dangerous man.” Police tagged him as the suspect in the killing of Virginia Dejito Coria in the evening of Oct. 15, 1996. As of last Friday, the Office of the Attorney General has yet to file charges against him.
Before the hostage taking in 1999, the late Chief Justice Miguel Demapan sentenced Blas for several years for trying to rape a Chinese woman.
