Drug lord Sy admits bribing officials for preferential treatment

Convicted drug lord Vicente Sy on Monday admitted bribing officials with millions of pesos to receive preferential treatment inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
During the last day of the House of Representatives hearing into the drug proliferation at the NBP, Sy in his affidavit, said that his fellow Chinese inmates in 2013 asked him to bring in appliances to the maximum security compound.

Sy said he gave P1 million to then National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director General Rafael Ragos through the latter’s right hand man named only as George.

Sy added that this amount was for then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, as told to him by George.

Sy said another P500,000 was paid for De Lima.

“Humihingi sa akin si George ng P1 million. Ang halagang ito ay sinabi ni George na para kay Justice Secretary Leila De Lima para papasukin ang mga appliances at para payagan ang paggamit ng mga ito sa loob ng Bilibid,” Sy said in his affidavit, which was read by his lawyer. Sy could not speak fluent Filipino.

Sy said he was also approached by De Lima’s alleged favored inmate Jaybee Sebastian to raise campaign funds for her.

Sebastian called a meeting among gang leaders before the end of 2014 to give orders to raise campaign funds for De Lima, Sy said.

Sy added that De Lima was present in that meeting.

Sebastian denied giving the orders to gang leaders.

READ: Sebastian denies ordering gang leaders to raise funds for De Lima

Sy said he did not follow Sebastian’s orders and that was the reason why he was among the 19 inmates pulled out of the maximum security compound after the December 2014 raid.

Sy said they were removed after the “Oplan Galugad” to allow Sebastian to monopolize the drug trade inside the Bilibid. Sebastian denied being De Lima’s favored drug lord.

READ: Sebastian denies being De Lima’s ‘favored’ drug lord

Sy also said he saw De Lima at Sebastian’s kubol inside the NBP. Sebastian denied that De Lima paid him a visit in there.

Sebastian, however, admitted that De Lima was his protector from the drug trade, adding that he raised P10 million campaign funds for De Lima from the sale of shabu.

READ: Sebastian: De Lima was my protector in Bilibid drug trade

Sy also admitted he paid then Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan P1 million for him to be transferred back to the maximum security compound. In 2013, Sy was relocated to the Sablayan Prison Farm and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro.

Baraan was included in the Bilibid drug trade matrix of President Rodrigo Duterte. Baraan has left the Philippines even before the House probe began due to health reasons.

READ: Colangco: Ex-DOJ USec Baraan got kickbacks for transferring inmates | Ex-DOJ official in Bilibid drug mess left PH ‘for health reasons’