De Lima vows to ‘cleanse’ prison farms

MANILA, Philippines - The “cleansing” of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) will extend to its penal colonies in the provinces, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday.

In an interview, she said BuCor penal farms like Iwahig in Palawan and Sablayan in Mindoro would also undergo the same crackdown on contraband conducted at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.

“I received reports that there are also illegal activities in the penal farms and colonies, although on a lesser scale,” she revealed.

De Lima several several convicted drug lords were previously transferred from the NBP to the penal farms, but were brought back to the national penitentiary later on.

“We learned that they continued to transact their (illegal drug) businesses there since there are fewer jail guards,” she explained.

De Lima also cited the case of drug convict Roland Ho, who was transferred to Sablayan and was killed in the market outside the prison.

“They were able to go out of the penal farms so we decided to bring them back to NBP. And since they continued with their illegal activities, we conducted these raids,” she added.

Reclaiming BuCor

De Lima stressed that the Aquino administration is serious in cleansing the BuCor.

“The instruction of the President is to reclaim BuCor and clean it up to pave the way for the modernization program. He has given me a free hand to undertake certain things and make appropriate recommendations if his approval is needed,” she said.

Last Monday, she has ordered the relief of four more NBP officials after another inspection yielded more contraband.

It was also learned that despite the crackdown on contraband and illegal activities in NBP, four starlets were able to sneak into the maximum security compound to provide “entertainment” to some rich inmates.

Earlier this month, De Lima already ordered the relief of NBP head Superintendent Robert Rabo; his deputy, Superintendent Celso Bravo; and Davao Penal Colony head Denario Tesoro due to illegal drugs and other contraband seized in earlier raids.

Rabo was replaced by Superintendent Richard Schwarzkopf Jr. and Bravo was replaced by Superintendent Rachel Ruello, concurrent head of Women’s Correctional, while Tesoro was replaced by Superintendent Geraldo Padilla.

De Lima has given Schwarzkopf two more weeks to dismantle the remaining kubols or prison huts at the NBP, including one reportedly owned by high-profile inmate Jaybee Niño Sebastian.  

Based on a report prepared by NBI prison guard Eugene Ciruela, high-end gadgets, liquor and P55,620  were recovered from Sebastian’s kubol. 

He was not included among the prominent inmates transferred to the NBI for temporary isolation.  

Bilibid divided into quadrants

Meanwhile, the BuCor has divided the NBP’s nine-hectare maximum security compound into four quadrants, where reformation activities will be carried out.

“Maximum security inmates will now be confined in their respective quadrant to limit their movements inside the NBP,” Schwarzkopf said.

The inmates in each quadrant will elect their own leaders and the gangs – renamed “barangays” – will be closely monitored.

“The barangay leaders will be held responsible for any infraction in their respective areas,” Schwarzkopf said.

He also said prison guards will not be allowed in the facility when they are off duty and those who are on duty will have color-coded identification cards to prevent them from going to areas beyond their jurisdiction.

The color-coded identification cards will also be given to visitors at the maximum security compound.

Schwarzkopf also said that the newly activated NBP Special Weapons and Tactics unit will be on standby to respond to any emergencies in the compound. – With Perseus Echeminada