PNP informed of Bilibid drug trade since Aug. 2014—Aguirre

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II. MARIANNE BERMUDEZ/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

As early as August 2014, the Philippine National Police (PNP) under dismissed Director General chief Alan Purisima already knew about the multi-billion drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said.

Aguirre said the PNP’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) had received a reliable information on the activities inside the Bilibid.

“Walang nangyari noon (Nothing happened then),” Aguirre told reporters on Wednesday.

Last Aug. 4, 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte received a letter from a police offer informing him that as early as Aug. 1, 2014, the police already received an information from an inmate mentioned only as “Alpha” about the illegal activities inside the prison.

The letter stated that Senior Superintendent Jerry Valeroso went to the extent of visiting and talking to the source of the information.

“Col. Valeroso exerted his utmost effort to visit herein Alpha for so many times, negotiating therewith casing purposes, surveillance [and] identifying subject involved in proliferation of drug trade [in prison],” the letter to the President stated.

After almost two weeks of investigation and interview of the source of information, the letter stated that they came into a conclusion that “[drug] is a lucrative business inside Bilibid.”

The information was then turned over to the “higher ups” for proper action.

“Col. Valeroso called me thru telephone that upon submission of my report, the higher command declined the same [to take action]. Col. Valeroso further averred in vernacular ‘Brod, ayaw patulan ang report natin baka anya may masagasaan (they don’t want to verify our report because they might go against certain personlities),” the letter stated.

Former head of the PNP-CIDG Benjamin Magalong testified during last week’s congressional inquiry that during his stint, they conducted a discreet investigation on the drug proliferation inside the Bilibid.

Magalong said they proposed a massive raid inside Bilibid and isolate the “big fish” inmates.

He said they were part of the meeting, planning the raid with former Justice Secretary Leila De Lima but they were eventually bumped aside. The raid was conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

In that same letter, the P300 million allegedly seized in the first among a series of raids inside the Bilibid was allegedly given to De Lima.

Earlier, Aguirre said that of the more than P300 million, only less then P2 million was reported to the media.

READ: Around P300M from De Lima’s 2014 Bilibid raid missing—Aguirre

“Mahal na Presidente, saan po kaya napunta iyon nakumpiska na pera sa Bilibid na humigit kumulang sa P300 million including expensive assorted [pieces of jewelry]. Kay De Lima po na turn over by NBI agents at right thereafter the raid sa newspaper ay P1.6 million ang cash na reported recovered or seized. Hindi nya maitatangg iyon, Sir, alam sa buong Bilibid,” the letter added.

(Our dear President, where did the seized cash amounting to around P300 million including expensive assorted pieces of jewelry go? Those were all turned over to De Lima by NBI agents and right thereafter the raid, according to published newspaper, reported recovered or seized only amounted to P1.6 million in cash. She couldn’t deny that, Sir, the entire Bilibid knows it). RAM

READ: Lawyer questions missing cash, pieces of jewelry in Bilibid raid