Convict Herbert Colangco鈥檚 room at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City rocks with a music studio. President Aquino has expressed particular concern over firearms found in the possession of 19 Very Important Prisoners during a raid on Monday that also uncovered their luxurious living conditions at the NBP. EDWIN BACASMAS
MANILA, Philippines鈥揚resident Aquino has expressed particular concern over firearms found in the possession of 19 Very Important Prisoners during a raid on Monday that also uncovered their luxurious living conditions at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
Quoting Justice Secretary Leila de Lima who led the dawn raid, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the President had given 鈥渟pecific instructions on the firearms discovered and it鈥檚 what worries him.鈥�
Found in the living quarters (kubol) of drug lord Peter Co were five firearms, along with cash amounting to P1.4 million, wide-screen TV sets, air-conditioning units, cell phones, money-counting machines, laptops, a projector and other appliances.
The unit also had a sauna.
Coloma said the findings showed the 鈥渟cale and depth of the illegal activities鈥� taking place at the NBP, but the problem 鈥渃ould not be solved right away.鈥�
鈥淲hat鈥檚 important is to recognize the seriousness of the problem and the determination to provide a lasting solution so that reform would become permanent,鈥� he told reporters.
The 19 inmates were temporarily transferred to the headquarters of the National Bureau of Investigation.
Military takeover
In the House of Representatives, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice has drafted a joint resolution urging Aquino to declare a military takeover of the NBP.
Erice said that under the Constitution, the President, as the Commander in Chief, was empowered to call out the Armed Forces to prevent lawless violence, invasion or rebellion.
He said the proliferation of criminal syndicates under the very noses of Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officials required extreme measures, such as a temporary military takeover of the NBP.
鈥淭he very audacity of these prisoners to repeatedly violate the laws, disregard the policies of the NBP and treat the NBP premises as their own little kingdom stemmed from their connections to corrupt officials and personnel of the NBP themselves, in addition to their capacity to communicate with and pay hired gunmen for those who cannot be bought by their money,鈥� said Erice.
Sex doll, Louis Vuitton
Co鈥檚 jail room showed the extent and sophistication of illegal drug operations run by convicted drug lords from inside what was supposed to be a high-security facility. It even had closed-circuit television cameras.
The kubol occupied by Co鈥檚 assistant, Jojo Baligad, had a bathtub, kitchen, bar, conference table, game console and even a life-size sex doll. It also yielded checkbooks, money kept in a Louis Vuitton cash box and 鈥渟habu鈥� (methamphetamine hydrochloride).
Coloma admitted 鈥渨eaknesses in our penology system,鈥� which he said the government was addressing. He cited the planned construction of a 鈥渕odern鈥� detention facility in Nueva Ecija province.
鈥淭here are a lot of loopholes. There were many practices [at the NBP] that were allowed in the previous years and which the current administration is now identifying,鈥� he said.
Asked if a BuCor shake-up was expected, the Palace vowed the 鈥渇ull extent of the accountability process.鈥�
Coloma said the focus was to 鈥渃ompletely stop illegal activities鈥� at the NBP and ensure that it would be free from illegal drugs.
Segregation before transfer
BuCor Director Franklin Bucayu revealed on Tuesday plans to construct a penal structure at the NBP that would enable authorities to, among others, isolate 鈥渉igh-risk鈥� inmates who may have established ties with some corrupt prison guards, if any.
鈥淥ne of our proposals is to construct a small-capacity jail structure that can accommodate 50 to 100 (inmates) only so that our colonies, like the NBP, can have a segregation capability,鈥� he said over radio dzBB.
Bucayu later told the Inquirer that the BuCor had requested the Department of Budget and Management 鈥渓ong before鈥� for P15 million for the construction of the structure, and that the money was 鈥渄ue to be released.鈥�
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I鈥檓 coordinating with Ma鈥檃m, with (De Lima), that she guide us (in the release) of that budget, because the end of the year is almost here,鈥� he said in the radio interview.
He told the Inquirer the construction of the structure would start 鈥渟oonest鈥� once the budget was released.
鈥淎nd if we can finish (the construction of) the structure in three months, we do it,鈥� he said, noting that the segregation could be done while the planned transfer of the NBP headquarters in Laur, Nueva Ecija, was not yet consummated.
Bucayu said he expected the completion of the new NBP headquarters in the province in 2018.
Cut ties with guards
According to Bucayu, the segregation of high-risk inmates was important, as it would 鈥渃ut the ties鈥� that may bind them with some prison guards who could have a hand in the entry of prohibited items in their kubol.
鈥淎nd if (these inmates) are in a controlled environment, they cannot move as much,鈥� Bucayu said.
SOP in jail management
He said it was also 鈥渟tandard-operating procedure鈥� in jail management that there be a segregation of inmates in the first place.
A 鈥渕essy鈥� situation was created because different types of inmates were together, the BuCor chief said.
鈥淗ow do you approach that? If you have a Grade 6 student, he should be with fellow Grade 6 students. If (this is not the case), how will you teach?鈥� he asked.
Bucayu said 鈥渋f a highly violent inmate鈥� was with other inmates, then 鈥渆very day, there will be a mess.鈥�
He added that the suicidal and the mentally ill should also be segregated in the structure that would be guarded by at least 120 prison guards.
鈥淭his is the strategy for a therapeutic and reformative intervention. And that way, we will be doing our job exactly (the way) people are expecting us (to do our jobs),鈥� he said.
Policy stopped
An NBP official said on Tuesday that the segregation of inmates was adopted in the past.
The policy was stopped after Building 14, where the high-risk inmates were isolated, underwent a renovation, said Supt. Celso Bravo, the NBP spokesman.
Subsequently, he said the funds for the renovation ran out and the renovation had to be stopped.
鈥淪o there鈥檚 no one staying in Building 14 anymore,鈥� Bravo said over the phone. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a long time since nobody stayed there. I think more than six months already.鈥�
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