SAF deployment at Bilibid extended, Bato confirms

The New Bilibid Prison. INQUIRER File Photo

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said he approves of the proposal to extend the tour of duty of elite Special Action Force (SAF) cops deployed at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

“By all means, makikita naman natin epektibo ‘yung SAF doon sa Bilibid so extended sila (we could see that the SAF manning the Bilibid is effective so its tour of duty is extended),” Dela Rosa told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Monday.

READ: SAF now mans Bilibid

But the police chief said he will ask SAF director Chief Supt. Benjamin Lusad to replace the current SAF commandos manning the Bilibid with new ones to avoid familiarity with the inmates.

“Siguro extended sila but change of personnel from other battalions naman ilagay namin (Perhaps they will be extended but there would be a change of personnel from other battalions [who would man the Bilibid]),” Dela Rosa added.

READ: SAF manning Bilibid vows to focus on duty, reject bribes

Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II of the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has jurisdiction over the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) that supervises the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, recently said in a hearing at the House of Representatives he will ask Dela Rosa to extend SAF’s duty at Bilibid.

Over 300 SAF troopers from different battalions nationwide were sent to the penitentiary last July. The SAF men were supposed to take over the Bilibid only for three months while the 200 jail guards undergo retraining.

Since the members of elite police force took over, Aguirre said illegal transactions inside the Bilibid “decreased by 90 percent.”/rga