Bilibid private rooms demolished

At least 20 kubols or private rooms owned by convicted Chinese nationals incarcerated at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City were demolished yesterday as part of the efforts to rid the national penitentiary of illegal activities, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor)officials said.

The demolished rooms were located at Building 13 H2 of the maximum security compound and were allegedly sold for as much as P15,000 each.

The building was referred to as "Ongpin" as all convicted Chinese nationals were placed there by former BuCor director Ricardo Macala.

Maximum security compound superintendent Francisco Abunales said prison cells should ideally be open to allow prison officials and guards to monitor their activities. However, at the compound, inmates can lock themselves up in their respective kubols.

BuCor director Dionisio Santiago admitted that "kingpins" and brigade heads at the penitentiary are given "special privileges" by the inmates themselves.

Celebrity inmates such as former Congressman Romeo Jalosjos, former Mayor Antonio Sanchez, and businessmen Ambet Antonio and Rolito Go reportedly kept kubols as well.

"But there should be parity. A kubol should be enjoyed by all and not just one person," he said.

During a media tour at the maximum security compound, Santiago said almost all kinds of illegal activities are being done at the NBP.

Santiago, a former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff, said he is employing semi-militaristic management style at the NBP to get both inmates and personnel to follow rules and regulations.

Just recently, Santiago also ordered the suspension of conjugal visits after prison officials discovered that two women were staying with an inmate inside a single cell. Bringing in of minors has also been reportedly tolerated.

Nevertheless, Santiago denied reports that a multi-million shabu laboratory was recently discovered at the maximum security compound. He said there were only makeshift laboratories for recycling shabu, which upon discovery by the authorities were transferred to the medium security compound.

Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong yesterday asked the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to coordinate with BuCor to investigate this alleged existence of shabu laboratory at the NBP.

Datumanong vowed to spare no one in the investigation and ordered Santiago to initiate measures to prevent the proliferation of prohibited drugs in the national penitentiary.

"The situation must be dealt with accordingly. What need to be drastically done must be done in order to enforce the rules and regulations, especially in that area," Datumanong stressed.