Prison execs face suspension over special treatment of convicted drug lord

New Bilibid Prison. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – Ranking officials of the New Bilibid Prisons face administrative suspension after the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) fact-finding team confirmed that convicted drug lord Ricardo Camata managed to check into a private hospital without permission from the DOJ with starlets and dancers visiting him.

In a 27-page document of the findings and recommendations, the panel led by Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, recommended the 90-day preventive suspension of NBP Superintendent Fajardo Lansangan, Chief of NBP escort service Gabriel Magan, Dr. Gloria Achazo-Garcia, officer-in-charge of the Medical and Dental Division of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), and Dr. Ma. Cecilia Villanueva, attending physician.

On the other hand prison guards Aldrid Garino, Antonio Bangoy, Eugenio Sabado, Edgardo Gamboa, Ernesto Calla and Herald Duran were recommended to be re-assigned to perform the functions of regular prison guards with the BuCor.

The panel said the officials and prison guards should be held liable for grave misconduct, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Meanwhile, the two doctors failed to inform Justice Secretary Leila De Lima about the transfer of Camata.

Both argued that they were only upholding the Code of Ethics of the Medical Profession which states that a physician should administer at least first aid treatment and then refer the patient to a more competent health provider and appropriate facility if necessary, in emergency cases.

However, the panel said the same code also required medical practitioners to “assist the government in the administration of justice in accordance with law.”

With regards to Lansangan, he claimed that he was supposed to inform De Lima but the memorandum he prepared got lost in his office.

The panel said Lansangan should be aware that his office dealt with so much paperwork thus, he should have been careful especially with important documents while Magan failed to properly train prison guards resulting in several lapses, including failure to get the identities of the visitors, failure to include them in the logbook and failure to inspect the visitors’ belongings.

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