Witness Jaybee Sebastian testifies during the Congressional hearing and inquiry on illegal drug trade at the National Bilibid Prison, October 10, 2016. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/Philippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – Contrary to earlier reports, high profile Bilibid inmate Jaybee Sebastian did not die at Site Harry, the quarantine facility for inmates infected with COVID-19.
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang said his office received new information regarding the suspicious death of Sebastian.
“Kahina-hinala naman ngayon na ang finding ay si Jaybee Sebastian ay hindi naman pala namatay sa Site Harry [The suspicious finding this time is that Jaybee Sebastian did not die at Site Harry],” Catapang told radio DZBB Thursday, adding he got the information when he talked to those assigned to the site Wednesday.
Site Harry located at Bldg.4 of the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison is the special facility set up by the BuCor at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to serve as an isolation facility for inmates infected with the novel coronavirus.
He said Sebastian actually died at the Bilibid Extension School of the University of Perpetual Help, and not at Site Harry or in a hospital.
“Hindi siya namatay sa ospital. Doon siya namatay sa eskwelahan, yung University of Perpetual Help. Katabi nung school yung eskwelahan na tinatawag nating Perpetual Help University [He did not die in the hospital.He died at the University of Perpetual Help School.Beside the school is the Perpetual Help University],” he added.
Sebastian, who was convicted of kidnapping-for-ransom and carjacking in 2009, is one of the government’s witnesses in the Bilibid drug trade case against former Senator Leila de Lima. These cases are now pending before the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court.
Catapang said an investigation will be conducted into circumstances surrounding Sebastian’s death.
He said when Sebastian’s wife learned of his death in July 2020, she wanted to do an independent autopsy on his body but that it looks like it was not granted and the body was immediately cremated as part of the health protocols of those who died of the virus.
Initial investigation he said showed that Site Harry was manned by personnel from the National Capital Region Police Office.
“At that time kasi merong PNP-NCRPO personnel na humandle sa mga COVID cases na yan. So, yun po ang magiging lead namin and we will ask who is the attending doctor, who authorized na i-cremate at tama ba ang findings na COVID [There are PNP-NCRPO personnel who are handling COVID-19 cases],” he said.
Last July, l the National Bureau of Investigation filed murder complaints before the DOJ against 22 NCRPO policemen in connection with the suspicious deaths of high-profile Bilibid inmates.
The 22 cops were assigned in the national penitentiary to augment its security.
But the NBI did not include any BuCor official in the complaint.
In filing the case, the NBI said initial investigation showed that COVID-19 may have been used as a cover for the deaths of the Bilibid inmates.
Among the high-profile inmates who died from May to June 2020 allegedly due to COVID-19 are Francis Go (May 28, 2020), Shuli Zhang (May 30), Jimmy Ang (June 1), Eugene Chua (June 2), Benjamin Marcelo (June 2), Sherwin Sanchez (June 4), Amin Imam Boratong (June 5) and Willy Yang (June 17).
All of them were convicted and serving time at the national penitentiary for drug trafficking, except for Sanchez who was serving a sentence for murder.
But the NBI said then the death of Sebastian does not bore the circumstances found in the deaths of the eight inmates.
RELATED STORY:
Bilibid inmate Jaybee Sebastian, key prison drug trade witness, dies of COVID-19