NBP imposes new measures to address problems on missing seized items

New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City. EDWIN BACASMAS / PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has implemented additional measures in response to the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) that more than P500,000 worth valuables seized from inmates of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) have gone missing.

READ: COA: Seized money from Bilibid short by P500K

“We have devised a control system and (formed an) appraisal committee as suggested by COA,” BuCor chief Benjamin delos Santos said Wednesday.

He said the appraisal committee has been created and working at the NBP since January to conduct an inventory of seized contrabands.

Delos Santos said he created the committee because inmates have been complaining of missing items seized from them.

“Many PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) have been complaining (that) the seized items from them have not been found in the inventory report of the National Bureau of Investigation,” said Delos Santos.

The COA declared in its audit report that there has been over P500,000 and several pieces of jewelry missing from the more than 30 surprise raids inside NBP under Oplan Galugad.

“The confiscated money totaling P3,658,479.10 was short by P502,180.00,” read the 2016 annual audit report. JPV