Bucayu pins blame on De Lima for aborted ‘Oplan Cronus’

House probe on Bilibid illegal drug trade. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA/Philippine Daily Inquirer

Former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director Franklin Bucayu blamed Senator Leila De Lima for sidelining the police in the December 2014 raid that aborted a police-led raid called “Oplan Cronus.”

During the third day of the House of Representatives justice committee inquiry into the alleged proliferation of drugs at the Bilibid, Bucayu was asked by Kabayan Rep. Harry Roque why the Criminal Investigation Detection Group (CIDG) was sidelined in the December 2014 raid that exposed the luxurious quarters of drug lords there.

READ: Police kept out of raid, says high PNP official

In an earlier hearing, Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for operations Director Benjamin Magalong testified that the CIDG, which he used to head, was sidelined in the Dec. 2014 raid that exposed the drug lords’ luxurious quarters.

Magalong testified that the CIDG planned a raid called “Oplan Cronus” but it was not given the go signal and that he was surprised the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) led by then Justice Secretary De Lima raided the Bilibid without the CIDG.

During the interpellation, Bucayu said that in a meeting about the raid, De Lima told him not to tell the CIDG about the December raid.

“Bakit all of a sudden, sumama kayo, gumawa ng sariling raid at in-exclude niyo yung grupo ni Magalong. Nagtataka ako (Why is it all of a sudden, you proceeded, created your own raid and excluded Magalong’s group)?” Roque asked Bucayu.

“Nagkaroon ng miting, sinabihan ko ang secretary, ‘Ma’am, will I inform the CIDG?’ Sabi niya, ‘No need.’ Yung sa aking kaisipan, nandun na kasi ang member ng National Bureau of Investigation, hindi na kailangan ng another investigating unit na kasama,” Bucayu said.

(There was a meeting, I told the secretary, “Ma’am, will I inform the CIDG?” She said, “No need.” I thought that another investigating unit was not necessary because the National Bureau of Investigation was there.)

When asked by Roque if Bucayu deliberately withheld information from Magalong, Bucayu said: “Opo (Yes).”

Bucayu said he only followed the decision of De Lima not to inform the CIDG about the raid.

“Gaya ng sinabi ko kanina (As I said earlier), I informed the secretary, ‘Ma’am, inform na ba natin ang (Should we inform the) CIDG?’ And she said, ‘No need.’ And so I respected the decision of the secretary,” Bucayu said.

Earlier, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said Magalong’s testimony about the aborted Oplan Cronus would back up the allegation that De Lima led the NBI raid without the CIDG to pull out 19 high-profile inmates alleged to be the competitors of convict Jaybee Sebastian in the drug trade.

De Lima allegedly transferred the Bilibid 19 to allow Sebastian, her favored drug lord, to monopolize the trade there in a bid to raise campaign funds for her.

Sebastian was spared in the Dec. 2014 raid.

READ: Solons raise eyebrows over De Lima’s NBP raid sparing Sebastian

In an earlier hearing, murder convict Jojo Baligad said Bucayu received P1.7 million as “tara” or grease money for allowing the proliferation of drugs inside the Bilibid.

Baligad said he also paid a weekly tara to officials in the Bilibid, namely, National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director General and then Bureau of Corrections officer in charge Rafael Ragos, and a certain Col. Elie from Bucayo’s office.

Bucayu denied receiving a single centavo, or giving authority to Elie to receive drug tara on his behalf.

READ: Ex-BuCor chief: I didn’t get a single centavo in NBP ‘drug trade’

“Hindi ko siya binigyan ng authority at wala akong tinanggap na single centavo (I didn’t give him the authority and I didn’t get a single centavo),” Bucayu said of Elie.

In his affidavit, Baligad listed his following transactions:

• January 2013 (first week) – P100,000 to Kumander Poy
• January 2013 (second week)  – P100,000 to Poy
• January 2013 (last week) – P200,000 to inmate Hebert Colanggo
• February 2013 (first or second week) – P200,000 to Colanggo
• June to September 2014 – P1.5 million to Colanggo
• May 2014 – 50,000 to Col. Elly
• June 2014 – 50,000 to Col. Elly
• July 2014 – 100,000 to Col. Elly
• Aug 2014 – P100,000 to Col. Elly
• October 2013 to April 2014 – P1.4 million to a certain “Sir Eugene”

Baligad also testified that De Lima received P1.5 million from the drug trade led by robbery convict Colanggo. RAM/rga

READ: De Lima received P1.5M drug payola from Colanggo–murder convict