5 transferred inmates return to NBP

MANILA, Philippines–Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered the return to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) of five convicts brought to the National Bureau of Investigation over the weekend for allegedly running drug operations from behind bars.

De Lima cited space constraints as the reason for the return of Noel Arnejo, Engelbert Durano, Gianfranco Pasco, Brando Ramirez and Joselito Valiente to the state penitentiary in Muntinlupa City where they would be placed in solitary confinement.

“They were returned because they [couldn’t] be accommodated [at the NBI]. So they will be just placed in separate disciplinary cells at New Bilibid and there will be more [security measures put in place],” she said in an ambush interview after a conference with NBI officials.

Arnejo, Durano and Pasco were earlier described by De Lima as convicted drug lords. She ordered their transfer after a raid on Saturday on their quarters led to the discovery of notebooks and pieces of paper containing data such as sums of money and grams, which, according to her, obviously referred to drug transactions.

Valiente and Ramirez, on the other hand, were found hanging out in the raided quarters.