Palace probes VIP treatment of convicted drug lords

Facade of the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. Convicted drug lord Tony Co was killed, and three others wounded in the fight at Building 14 of the maximum security compound at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) early Wednesday morning.
INQUIRER PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC

Malacañang will not condone any agreement that grants special privileges to convicted criminals in exchange for their testimonies in drug hearings, according to presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella who said the Palace would check the veracity of reports alleging that Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II had authorized the arrangement.

No investigation order was necessary, Abella said in a news briefing on Thursday. “A simple verification will suffice at this stage,” he said.

The Palace does not favor high-profile inmates getting access to luxuries to get them to testify in drug-related hearings, Abella said.

The Inquirer reported on Thursday that a confidential Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) memorandum purported to show that Aguirre had allowed preferential treatment for eight convicted criminals detained in Camp Aguinaldo who had testified in last year’s congressional hearings on the drug trade in New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

Some of the inmates had testified against the President’s perennial critic, Sen. Leila de Lima.

The BuCor document provided details of the conference of counsels of BuCor, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

It stated that the military wanted implementing rules and regulations on the custodial agreement covering the high-profile inmates because certain military guidelines were being violated.

The memo, dated Dec. 9, 2016, referred to a purported AFP investigation that had found the inmates at the military facility  “continue to enjoy lavish lifestyles e.g. use of electronic gadgets, smart television sets, air-conditioning units, internet, cellular phones.”

“When pressed for comment, elements of both the PNP and BuCor invoked that they are just following the express instruction of the Hon. Vitaliano Aguirre II to allow the entry of the above-enumerated gadgets in return for the testimony they gave during the congressional inquiry on the proliferation of drugs inside New Bilibid Prison,” it stated.

Sound and fury

Speaking to Senate reporters on Thursday, Aguirre said he knew nothing about the supposed order that allegedly allowed eight convicts to gain access to gadgets and appliances.

“I don’t know anything about that memo. Why won’t (De Lima) just release it? Why (is she) doing it in installments? She is scouring the bottom of the barrel,” Aguirre said, suggesting that the leaked document came from the senator.

“I don’t remember … I never consent[ed] or gave any go signal for anybody to give these special privileges … She is all sound and fury signifying nothing,” he said.

Aguirre insisted the Inquirer report was wrong. The justice secretary, he said, does not have a direct hand in all the actions of agencies under his supervision.

“After I read her complaint, I immediately directed the BuCor Chief to conduct an investigation about this. These are detention cells at the AFP. So I said investigate, if true, stop. If they have to dismantle something, dismantle. We never tolerate any violation,” he said.

Told of Aguirre’s denial, De Lima said: “What he should respond to is the document … if that’s true that they had such a meeting and that that was how the meeting turned out.”

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año and PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa in a joint interview with reporters on Thursday denied responsibility for the reported lavish lifestyle of the inmates detained at Camp Aguinaldo.

Unusual happenings

Año said the AFP merely provided the physical structure for the inmates under an agreement with the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The military police conducts security survey and inspection periodically to ensure that all facilities are secure and that any unusual happenings are indicated in their reports.

“That is part of our job. We made some observations, investigations and inspection and the appropriate measure. Of course, the course of action will be through the proper authority like the Bucor and the DOJ and we believe they have made also appropriate actions already,” Año said.

Dela Rosa said the PNP merely provided elements of the Special Action Forces to secure the area. “It’s the Bucor that is running the implementing of the rules and regulations within that particular area,” he said.

The eight inmates were transferred from the NBP to the AFP facility in September last year before they appeared at the congressional inquiry on illegal drugs.

Some of them testified that De Lima as justice secretary received millions of pesos in protection payoffs from drug lords operating a multibillion narcotics trade across the country from the NBP.

Aguirre said on Thursday that state prosecutors would decide “any day now” whether they had enough evidence to proceed with the filing of criminal charges against De Lima.