Solon wants convicted drug lords exiled to West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — Instead of housing convicted drug lords in New Bilibid Prison (NBP) where they could still enjoy special privileges just by bribing prison guards, they should instead be exiled to the West Philippines Sea to “survive on their own.”

Anti-Crime and Terrorism Community Involvement and Support (ACT-CIS) Party-list Rep. Niña Taduran proposed this on Monday, noting that while these convicts are in the national penitentiary, they are still able to continue their trade with a simple cellphone and by bribing the prison guards and officials.

Taduran said they should instead be placed on an island in the West Philippine Sea where there is “no cellphone signal, no guards to bribe and no means of escape.”

“There are numerous islets in the West Philippine Sea near Pagasa island being claimed by the Philippines, where someone with the ingenuity and resourcefulness of these convicted drug lords could survive on their own,” Taduran said in a statement.

Since the country’s military is already patrolling the area, they would only need to make sure that no one leaves or enters these islands, she said.

Aside from solving the problems hounding the NBP, Taduran said the proposal could also beneficial on another aspect: strengthening the Philippines’ claim over the West Philippine Sea.

“The move would solve not only all the problems hounding the NBP at the moment, but also help the Philippine government assert its claim over these islands in the West Philippine Sea, by populating them with Filipino prisoners,” the party-list lawmaker said.

She added that all other prisoners in NBP might as well be transferred to other penal colonies and the New Bilibid complex be sold to the private sector, the proceeds of which could be used to fund the Duterte government’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

“Nasa likod lang ng Ayala Alabang ang NBP, mas pakikinabangan ng pamahalaan kung ibebenta na lang ang lupang ‘yan, kaysa patirahin diyan ang mga pasaway na druglords,” she said. /je