Is the PNP surrendering to drug lords of Bilibid?
Published July 4, 2017, 10:00 PM
Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said yesterday he is eyeing the pullout of all police commandos from their duty of guarding the National Bilibid Prisons (NBP).
The Chief PNP made the statement after no less than Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre confirmed the resurgence of illegal drugs operations at the NBP.
Dela Rosa said he had a discussion with some Special Action Force (SAF) officials and personnel and have been informed of their concerns while assigned to the NBP.
“They themselves (SAF officials and personnel) want to get out of there, because they have no complete control on the Bilibid drug lords,” said Dela Rosa.
“I want to replace them also because of their apprehensions that they would be discredited in the end if the illegal drugs trade continues,” he added.
Dela Rosa disclosed that only Building 14 and the maximum detention facility of the NBP are being guarded by the SAF.
It was recalled that at the height of the NBP illegal drugs trade issue, the SAF was deployed to serve as jail guards what with the issue of trust on the existing NBP personnel.
The problem, however, was that the convicted NBP drug lords were moved from Building 14 and maximum detention area to the medium security where the SAF has no control, Dela Rosa said.
The security arrangement poses a serious problem on SAF as some police commandos said the illegal drugs trade may resume in areas where they have no control.
“So I would like to inform you that we the SAF has no total control over the NBP. The drug lords have already been moved out of the areas being manned by SAF so if contrabands are sneaked inside like gadgets, cellphones, SAF could not be blamed because they have bo control over medium and minimum,” said Dela Rosa.
CHANGE OF GUARDS
Aguirre II confirmed he has discussed changing the SAF contingent assigned to the NBP by the end of this month with SAF Director Benjamin Lusad.
“We have already made a request to SAF less than a month ago,” cited Aguirre. “This will take place in the fourth week of this month.”
Aguirre said another SAF contingent will be taking over the guard duties at the NBP.
The Secretary has already expressed concerns over the resurgence of illegal drug trading at the national penitentiary.
He admitted the current contingent might have been tainted because of the familiarity they have with the inmates.
‘SHABU’ SURRENDERED
Amid reports of the resurgence of the narcotics trade at the NBP, a group of inmates have turned over illegal drugs and other narcotics.
Justice Undersecretary Erickson Balmes said members of the Sigue-Sigue Sputnik Gang surrendered the illegal items last Monday.
Citing reports from Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Benjamin delos Santos, Balmes said the items which turned over were six large plastic sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu;” 30 small sachets of shabu; two icepicks; and one cellular phone.
Balmes said the surrender of the contrabands was “a result of dialogue/negotiaions conducted last Saturday.”