DOJ: Visitors still banned from New Bilibid Prison

MANILA, Philippines–Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Monday that the temporary ban on visitors at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City would remain until inmates cooperate with investigators looking into the Jan. 8 grenade attack that left a prisoner dead and 19 others injured.

“That’s my position as of now. That’s my stand at this point. Of course, I’m not saying that decision is irreversible. It depends on future developments,” De Lima told reporters in an interview.

According to her, the inmates’ visitation rights would eventually be restored although it would depend also on the recommendation of Bureau of Corrections director Franklin Bucayu.

“What I am waiting [for] now is the cooperation of the gang leaders. Part of the sanctions we imposed to get their cooperation, to pressure them, to compel them to cooperate with us, is to do away for the meantime with the visitation privileges,” De Lima said.

The grenade went off on Jan. 8 in the maximum security compound, near a building which housed members of the Commando Gang. It killed Jojo Fampo, a member of the group, and injured several others, including those from rival groups, the Sputnik and Batman gangs. Based on their initial investigation, probers said that the grenade may have been lobbed from an area occupied by a rival gang with the target identified as JB Sebastian, the leader of the Commando Group.

In a separate interview, Bucayu said that although there were several leads being pursued, they had yet to come up with a suspect.

“We are looking into many angles,” Supt. Richard Schwarzkopf Jr., NBP superintendent, said.–With Kristine Felisse Mangunay