SAF men want out of Bilibid, says ‘Bato’

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Special Action Force (SAF) may completely be pulled out of the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) following a revelation by justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on the alleged resurgence of the drug trade in the facility.

READ: SAF members into Bilibid drug trade?

According to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela Rosa the SAF unit at the NBP has asked to be recalled from the facility for the sake of preserving its reputation.

At a press conference Tuesday the country’s top cop conceded that the information from the justice secretary may be true.

Dela Rosa said that the SAF unit wants to pull out of the NBP because they do not have complete control.

“They (SAF) have this apprehension that their reputation might get damaged there. They told me, ‘We are here but the drug trade continues. We cannot control it. We will be ruined. You better relieve us here.’ That’s their request,” he explained.

The PNP chief said that the SAF only has control over Building 14 and the maximum security compound, where some of the drug lords are.

But he pointed out there are drug lords who were moved to the medium and minimum security areas which are beyond the SAF unit’s control.

“If contraband is smuggled inside, like gadgets cellular phones, laptop computers, the SAF unit cannot confiscate them because it does not have control of the medium and minimum (security areas),” Dela Rosa said.

“I wish all of them (drug lords) are returned to Building 14 so the SAF could guard them,” he told reporters.

Dela Rosa said that he will speak with the SAF director to determine what the best course of action is. “Our SAF is overstretched. They are very much engaged in the conflict in Marawi. We have a problem in the Zamboanga Peninsula, Central Mindanao, particularly in Maguindanao,” he noted.