De Lima asks Bilibid gangs to yield blast culprit to end visitation ban

MANILA, Philippines—The visitation ban in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) maximum security compound will stay unless the gang leaders hand over the culprit behind the explosion early this year, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Monday.

“Siyempre ire-restore namin yang ganyang privileges. Only that meron naman kaming dahilan kung bakit pinatupad natin ang visitation ban. Remember, na kaya ko pinahinto muna yung visiting privileges nung sa NBP is because of the grenade explosion incident,” De Lima said.

“And then, kinausap ko yung mga gang leaders and told them na i-surrender dapat nila ang suspect or yung perpetrator. Kasi ang alam ko pag mga ganyang insidente, halos imposible na di alam lalo ng mga gang leaders kung sino ang may kagagawan ng mga ganyang insidente,” she added.

An inmate was killed and 19 others were hurt in the explosion on January 8 in the vicinity of Building 5 at the area of Barangay Commando.

While the National Bureau of Investigation has identified the perpetrator based on eyewitness account, De Lima said she wants the cooperation of the gang leaders.

The visitation ban was lifted during the Sto. Niño Feast Day on January 19 when Pope Francis also celebrated a Mass at the Quirino Grandstand but the ban was restored afterward.

De Lima said she is discussing the issue with Bureau of Corrections Director Franklin Bucayu, but in the meantime, her position is that the visitation ban would stay.

“Yan ang position ko ngayon. Yan ang paninindigan ko at this point. Of course, I’m not saying that the decision is irreversible, depende yan sa magiging developments at hihintayin ko ang magiging rekomendasyon ni BuCor Director Bucayu,” she said.

The BuCor, which operates the NBP and seven other prison colonies in the country, is an attached agency of the Department of Justice.

Several of the inmates’ relatives have reportedly camped outside the NBP compound to press their call for the restoration of the visitation rights.

De Lima said she respects the appeal of the inmates’ families for the visitation rights to be restored but added that authorities also have regulations to enforce.

“Well, karapatan naman nila yan na mag-assemble, for as long as they do it peacefully. So if they are airing their grievance in the sense that they are asking na i-restore na, dapat maintindihan din nila. Kasi ang pagpapatakbo ng isang national penitentiary ay di madali,” she said.

“May mga patakaran, may mga reasonable directives din kami na ini-impose and since alam ko na alam nila kung sino ang may kagagawan nun so dapat mag-cooperate sila. I-surrender muna nila ang tunay na may kagagawan,” she added.

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