Leviste leaves Bilibid to visit dentist

Former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste, convicted for the January 2007 killing of his longtime friend Rafael dela Alas, was allowed on Monday to leave his detention cell at the New Bilibid Prison compound in Muntinlupa City for a visit to the dentist. NBP officials said Leviste, sentenced to reclusion temporal by a Makati court on Jan. 14 last year, left his prison cell inside the Bureau of Corrections' Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC) at about 8:30 a.m. The RDC is located inside the NBP compound. Celso Bravo, RDC chief security, told GMANews.TV that he does not know which hospital in Makati City Leviste was brought to, only saying that that the former governor wanted to have his gums checked. "Nag-request iyong dentist niya na tignan yung gums kasi may connection daw iyon sa possible poisoning na magti-trigger sa heart (His dentists asked that Leviste's gums be checked to prevent a possible poisoning that could affect his heart)," Bravo said. No need for DOJ permit The permit to leave his detention cell was issued by the NBP Hospital upon the request of Leviste's family dentist. Bravo said the authorization no longer had to come from the Department of Justice because Leviste was classified as a "medium security" prisoner. He said only inmates at the maximum security facility of the NBP are required to secure a DOJ permit before being allowed to go out. After his conviction last year, Leviste was brought to the Makati City Jail but was later transferred to the RDC. The RDC, although having maximum security, is where convicts with shorter jail sentences are brought, while the NBP main prison facility is where inmates with jail terms of 20 years and above are imprisoned. Bravo said it was "the first time Leviste was allowed to leave his detention cell since he was brought to the RDC about eight months ago." Leviste was originally charged with murder but Makati RTC Branch 150 Judge Elmo Alameda convicted him for the lesser offense of homicide, saying that the fatal shooting of De las Alas did not appear to be premeditated. The court sentenced him to 6 to 12 years of imprisonment [See: Court finds Batangas ex-gov Leviste guilty of homicide] The shooting incident happened on Jan. 12, 2007 inside Leviste's office at the LPL Tower in Makati City. 'Member of the workforce' Since being detained at the NBP, Leviste has already become a "member of the workforce," or those being tapped to help rehabilitate other inmates, according to Bravo. The security official said Leviste had initiated tree planting and medical missions inside the NBP in the past through the help of his friends and relatives. Bravo said Leviste's efforts could help cut his jail term once he becomes eligible to apply for colonist status for good conduct time allowance, two years after he was first brought to the NBP. - Mark Merueñas/RSJ, GMANews.TV