One of 19 Bilibid inmates now a gov’t witness

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) took into its Witness Protection Program (WPP) one of the 19 high-profile Bilibid  inmates currently held at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the inmate gave information about how his fellow inmates have managed to sneak inside their cell mobile phones and wifi gadgets.

De Lima said that the two mobile phones (iPhones), a wifi gadget and a charger were confiscated.

But there was a third mobile phone discovered which was not declared confiscated by the authorities.

“They confiscated two iPhones, a wifi gadget and a charger as indicated in the logbook but this inmate said there was another phone. It was not reflected in the logbook,” de Lima told reporters after an inspection of the New Bilibid Prison extension facility inside NBI.

“The inmate even said that the NBI agents allow the inmates to have gadgets inside,” de Lima said but refused to identify the inmate for security reasons.

She said the inmate would be protected by the government’s WPP.

“We need to secure him. I don’t think he will be safe here [at NBI],” de Lima added.

De Lima also ordered NBI Director Virgilio Mendez to investigate the allegations made by the inmate.