Sandigan justice denies ties with Bilibid inmates
FORMER Assistant Solicitor General and now Sandiganbayan Justice Karl Miranda on Tuesday denied that he has ties with high profile inmates involved in illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) after his name came out in a video presentation during the House inquiry on the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the prison.
Miranda said the video was taken during one of the regular visits of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) Legal Interns to the national penitentiary.
“Part of the OSG Legal Internship Program includes visits to government departments, agencies, bureaus and offices to familiarize legal interns with OSG legal work as the Republic’s Counsel and the People’s Tribune,” he said.
“It also includes visits to the national penitentiary to see poor prison and prisoner conditions and learn about prisoner information,” Miranda added.
Miranda, meanwhile, welcomes the House inquiry as it gave him the opportunity to clear the terrible and unjust misconception towards him because of the film clip.
”I have consistently and strongly condemned the illegal drug trade and have done my part then as the Republic’s lawyer in seeing to it that those who violate the anti-illegal drug laws of the country are held responsible and sent to prison,” Miranda said in a statement.
He explained that the people in the video were the first batch of legal interns who visited the Maximum Security Prison.
“When we arrived, we were brought to a visitor’s hall inside the Maximum Security Prison where we were expecting prisoners to perform the usual song and dance numbers for visitors,” Miranda said.
Miranda said he was not aware that convicted kidnapper Jaybee Sebastian was one of the performers who played a saxophone during the said visit.
“It was after the performance that the introduction of the legal interns were made.”
”It is therefore most unfair to give the impression that we support his illegal activities. Far from it, what we support is true prisoner reform and rehabilitation and not what was misrepresented by the film clip,” he explained adding that the House inquiry is most welcome.
“I have consistently and strongly condemned the illegal drug trade and have done my part then as the Republic’s lawyer in seeing to it that those who violate the anti-illegal drug laws of the country are held responsible and sent to prison,” he said./rga
