Slay of jail whistle-blower probed

Facade of the building of the Bureau of Corrections, an agency at the center of controversies over alleged bribes and drug trafficking. —LYN RILLON

The highest ranking official of a government agency supervising the country’s prisons ordered an investigating team formed to focus on the murder on Saturday of a jail guard who, in 2011, blew the whistle on alleged irregularities in the country’s biggest jail facility, including special treatment for wealthy inmates in exchange for bribe money.

Benjamin delos Santos, head of the Bureau of Corrections (Bucor), said he had ordered officials of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm (DPPF) in Carmen town, Davao del Norte, to form a special investigating team for the case of Kabungsuan Makilala, a jail guard at DPPF who was gunned down in a bus on Saturday as he was headed home from work at DPPF, formerly known as Davao Penal Colony.

In 2011, Makilala, who was former vice chair of the Bucor’s bids and awards committee, sought enrollment in the government’s Witness Protection Program (WPP) after accusing Gaudencio Pangilinan, then Bucor chief, of irregularities at New Bilibid Prison (NBP), the biggest jail facility under Bucor supervision in Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila.

Delos Santos vowed to bring justice for Makilala.

Deadly ride

In a statement, Delos Santos said he ordered Rene Orbe, Bucor deputy director for security and operations, to supervise the investigation in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation and Philippine National Police.

“We will leave no stone unturned in this senseless killing,” Delos Santos said.

In a report, the police force of Carmen town said Makilala, who was assigned to the DPPF facility in Dujali town, Davao del Norte, was on a Bachelor bus bound for Davao City when he was shot by a lone gunman, who was on the same bus.

The killing took place as the bus was passing by the village of Alejo in Carmen around 9 a.m. on Saturday.

As the gunman fled a policeman from Carmen, PO3 Pablo F. Paulo, who was about to board the bus from his home just 15 meters from the crime scene, traded shots with the gunman, who apparently served as a lookout.

The suspects, however, were able to escape on a motorcycle that they commandeered. Stray bullets wounded two civilians. PO3 Paulo was also wounded in the leg during the brief gunfight.

Makilala, who suffered critical wounds, was brought to the Carmen District Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

In 2011, Makilala sought enrollment in WPP after blowing the whistle on alleged irregularities in the Bucor and NBP.

In an exclusive interview with Inquirer that year, Makilala accused Pangilinan, then Bucor chief, of giving special treatment to Rolito Go, then a maximum security inmate, and other wealthy prisoners in exchange for bribes.

Makilala also accused Pangilinan of implementing P50 million in projects, including a new prison building in November 2011, without public bidding, a violation of the antigraft law.

NBP was then under Leila de Lima, former justice secretary, now senator. De Lima was also then in charge of the WPP as justice secretary.

Pangilinan had denied the charges. —WITH ALLAN NAWAL