Intel office set up at Bilibid to tackle corruption, drug trade

MANILA, Philippines — Joint intelligence units of law enforcement agencies in Metro Manila now have a liaison office at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in a bid to address corruption and the drug trade inside the state penitentiary.

The launch of the Quad-Intel Force Liaison Office inside the NBP Reservation in Barangay Poblacion, Muntinlupa City on Monday was attended by Bureau of Corrections Director General Gerald Bantag, National Capital Region Police Office director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, Lt. Col. Eugene Villaluz of the military’s Joint Task Force – NCR, and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Investigation Agent 5 Beltran Lacal Jr.

The Quad-Intel Force is an alliance of the NCRPO, PDEA-NCR, JTF-NCR, and the National Bureau of Investigation-NCR initiated by Eleazar to “facilitate the sharing of information against convicted felons who are allegedly continuously running the operations of drug syndicates and other criminal groups.”

According to Eleazar, the liaison office will serve as the “eyes and ears” of the Quad-Intel Force inside the NBP against drug lords and other convicts who, despite being behind bars, still manage to lead criminal syndicates.

For its part, the Quad-Intel Force will provide information to BuCor about the operations of criminal groups suspected of having connections with convicts inside the NBP.

On Friday, Eleazar said the NCRPO would also deploy 551 personnel to augment security officers inside Bilibid to help the BuCor cleanse the facility of crooked practices.

READ: 551 metro cops to augment security force inside Bilibid

“We will continue to monitor the police officers here because we want to help,” Eleazar told reporters. “These police officers should not be tempted [to do irregular practices] as this has been the problem here at BuCor.”