DOJ probes bribery for penal colony transfers in Bilibid

MANILA, Philippines - After investigating preferential treatment for high-profile inmates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), the Department of Justice (DOJ) is now looking into another alleged anomaly at the national penitentiary.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima disclosed yesterday information on a purported competition among convicted drug lords serving sentence in the NBP to dominate clandestine illegal drug activities inside the prison.

“One of the issues there is the transfer involving drug syndicates, and BuCor (Bureau of Corrections) officials are earning money from this. One drug lord would allegedly bribe or give money to a BuCor official so that a rival drug lord will be sent to a penal colony,” she told reporters in a chance interview.

De Lima said bribe money involved ranges from P2 million to P5 million.

She said the transfers pave the way for “unhampered underground or clandestine activities of rival syndicates, particularly those involved in illegal drugs.”

The DOJ chief revealed that many of the grounds cited by BuCor officials for the transfers were “allegedly unreasonable or arbitrary.”

“I’m shocked to learn reports about that,” she admitted.

In response, De Lima has issued Department Circular No. 25 requiring her approval of transfers of prisoners from NBP to penal colonies before implementation by BuCor, which is under administrative supervision of DOJ.

De Lima cited Section 4, Paragraph b of Chapter 5, Part II of the BuCor manual, which requires that an inmate should be physically and psychologically fit to live in the penal colony and that such assignment would be “therapeutic.”

“In view of the foregoing, all transfers of inmates to any of the penal colonies/penal farms shall henceforth bear the prior approval of the Secretary of Justice,” her order concluded.

She added that the inter-agency technical working group that will look into the key problems besetting the country’s penal system would also look into the alleged bribery of BuCor officials by drug lords.

NBP houses about 23,000 convicted inmates who are serving their sentences.

The BuCor has penal colonies and farms in five provinces: Davao Prison and Penal Farm, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm, and Leyte Regional Prison.

Last Sunday, De Lima revealed that President Aquino wanted immediate solution to the perennial problem of congestion in the national penitentiary. He suggested to the DOJ to develop Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan where inmates from NBP could be transferred.