Five more New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmates believed to be running drug operations from behind bars have been transferred to the National Bureau of Investigation, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Sunday.
De Lima identified them as Noel “Mong” Arnejo, Engelbert Durano, Gianfranco “Gean” Pasco, Brando Ramirez and Joselito Valiente. She said that like the 19 other NBP prisoners who were moved to the NBI headquarters in Manila after the Dec. 15 raid that led to the discovery of money, drugs and other banned items such as a jacuzzi and air-conditioning units in their “kubol” or quarters, the new transferees would be temporarily barred from receiving visitors.
De Lima made the announcement as authorities continued the crackdown against contraband, illegal activities and VIP treatment being given to some moneyed prisoners at the national penitentiary.
The NBI, together with operatives from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Muntinlupa police conducted on Saturday another raid—the seventh since the first one on Dec. 15—that resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs, bladed weapons, cell phones, sex toys and about P600,000 in cash from several inmates.
De Lima said the “real targets” of the raid were Arnejo, Durano and Pasco whom she described as convicted drug lords.
“But in the course of the operations, Valiente and Ramirez were also found in the two other kubol raided supposedly belonging to Pasco and Durano. There were very incriminating [pieces of] evidence [such as] notebooks and pieces of papers containing data [like] amounts and grams of what [were] obviously drug transactions,” she told reporters in a text message.
The raid on Saturday morning targeted Buildings 4, 5 and 8 inside the NBP’s maximum security compound.
The 19 inmates earlier transferred to the NBI were Eugene Chua, Sam Li Chua, Vicente Sy, George Sy, Tony Co, Joel Capones, Herbert Colangco, Peter Co, Imam Boratong, Clarence Domingo, Tom Chua, Rommel Capones, Jojo Baligad, Willy Chua, Michael Ong, Jacky King, Willy Sy, Noel Martinez and Herman Agojo. Seized from them were illegal drugs, cash, firearms and other contraband.
The lawyers or relatives of Boratong, Ong, Willy Sy, Martinez and Peter Co recently filed petitions for the issuance of writs of habeas corpus, habeas data or amparo in the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals and the Manila Regional Trial Court. Other inmates also filed a complaint in the Commission on Human Rights, saying they were being held incommunicado.
In response, De Lima said there was nothing illegal about their transfer to the NBI since the detention center there had been designated an extension facility of the BuCor.
“Their temporary transfer to NBI for safekeeping is in line with [the] plenary safekeeping mandate of BuCor subject only to their right to humane treatment or [the] constitutional right of prisoners against cruel and degrading punishment,” she added.
Meanwhile, BuCor director Franklin Bucayu yesterday said that two witnesses in Thursday’s grenade explosion at the NBP had provided information about those behind the attack.
Bucayu added that the witnesses, whom he declined to identify for now due to security reasons and to avoid jeopardizing the agency’s continuing operations, appeared to be “credible.”
“We’re looking at several groups affected by our ongoing crackdown [which may be] behind the incident. It could be meant to disrupt our efforts but we remain unfazed as proven by this latest operation,” he said.
The explosion occurred inside the maximum security compound, killing a prisoner and injuring 19 others.