Bato to drug lords turned state witnesses: Behave or else…

Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald Dela Rosa’s visit to the custodial facility located at the back of the ISAFP in Camp Aguinaldo. INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Newly-installed Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa made a surprise visit on Wednesday to Camp Aguinaldo where eight convicted drug lords who had testified against Sen. Leila de Lima were detained.

Dela Rosa told reporters that he warned the drug lords against continuing their trade if they did not want to turn into “dying witnesses.”

Among those detained at the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) headquarters were Herbert Colanggo, Engelbert Durano, Jerry Pepino, Noel Martinez, Gernan Agojo, Jaime Patio, Thomas Donina and Rodolfo Magleo.

Dela Rosa assured reporters that the convicts were not receiving special treatment at the ISAFP facility, saying: “I am quite satisfied.”

Just keeping tabs

He said that his visit was to make sure that they would not go back to the drug trade following their transfer to Camp Aguinaldo.

“They might say that the government owes them a debt of gratitude that they could continue with their drug transactions. So I made sure (they neither think nor say that),” Dela Rosa said.

He added: “I told them even if you are state witnesses, you can end up as dying witnesses if you continue the drug trade.”