MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is standing firm on banning visits by relatives of inmates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
In an interview with reporters yesterday, she said the visiting privilege of inmates would be restored only once gang leaders and inmates cooperate with reforms being instituted by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) at the penitentiary.
De Lima said she also wanted the gang leaders to first surrender the culprit behind the grenade explosion in the maximum security compound last month that killed an inmate and wounded 19 others.
“What I know is that it’s impossible for the gang leaders not to know the culprit in that kind of incident. So part of the sanctions that we imposed to get their cooperation, to pressure them, to compel them to cooperate is to do away with the visiting privileges for the mean time,” she explained.
De Lima confirmed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has identified the perpetrator based on eyewitness accounts, but refused to give further details.
She said the visitation ban was temporarily lifted during the feast day of the Sto. Niño when Pope Francis also celebrated a mass at the Quirino Grandstand, and again the following day.
De Lima said she respects the protest of the inmate’s families, who camped outside the NBP to press their call for the restoration of the visitation rights.
“They have a right to assemble for as long as they do it peacefully. They have to understand that we have regulations and reasonable directives to enforce. It’s not easy to run a national penitentiary,” she lamented.
But as to the visitation ban on 19 inmates currently isolated at the NBI, De Lima hinted that it would be lifted “very soon.” She said the NBI is just firming up the guidelines governing the visitation of the inmates’ relatives and lawyers “to ensure they will have no communication with their cohorts outside.”
The 19 high-profile inmates currently detained at the NBI are Peter Co, Amin Imam Boratong, Michael Ong, Willy Sy, Noel Martinez, Eugene Chua, Chua Sam Li, Vincent Sy, George Sy, Joel Capones, Herbert Colangco, Clarence Dongail, Tom Chua, Rommel Capoines, Jojo Baligad, Jacky King Sy, Willy Chua, Jacky King Sy and Herman Agojo.
Some of them have questioned their transfer and the visitation ban before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and the Manila regional trial court.