DoJ chief orders probe on ‘living out’ , cellphone privileges at Bilibid

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said she received information that there are other “living out” inmates who can go in and out of prison without permission.

At a press conference, De Lima said an informant told her that murder convict Rolito Go also enjoys the same privileges as Leviste, who was recently arrested in Makati.

Go is on his 18th year in prison for the death of college student Eldon Maguan in a fit of road rage in 1991.

“I have to verify if the information is true,” De Lima said.

De Lima said aside from the incident involving Leviste, a separate committee will be created to review the rules and regulations existing at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP), particularly the rule about “living out” inmates.

“I want to know how are they done? What are the standards? What are the rules?”

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima’s order was triggered by the case involving former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste, who was arrested by police for leaving prison without authorization.

She explained that rules on living out prisoners are applicable only to those prisoners jailed in the NBP’s minimum security compound. She said that on a case to case basis, these rules apply to sick prisoners and those who are over 70 years old, as well.

De Lima also said that issues involving prison rules and management were discussed at a meeting she attended with officials, superintendents, and superiors of wardens and penal colonies on Monday.

She said she was alarmed by reports showing that police and government personnel also committed violations that eventually led to abuses of inmates.

“I told everyone that it’s about time that we apply command responsibility here. Every time someone is caught violating the law, the rules, it is also attributable to the personnel. These things cannot happen [without the personnel’s participation], it’s either negligence or connivance of the personnel. Someone has to answer for that,” she said.

Aside from the rules on “living out inmates,” De Lima said she also ordered that on duty guards inside prison facilities, including penal colonies, be prohibited from using cellular phones. Fatima Reyes