Bilibid custodian admits lapses in monitoring Leviste

(Updated 6:29 p.m.) The custodian assigned to monitor the whereabouts of convicted killer Antonio Leviste, a former Batangas governor, was grilled Tuesday by a Department of Justice panel that is looking into his unauthorized departure from the New Bilibid Prison. Fortunato Justo, who was castigated for his failure to notice that Leviste left the NBP reservation in Muntinlupa City last May 18, admitted that he had lapses in monitoring Leviste. "Napansin mo na pumuslit ang sasakyan? (Did you notice that Leviste was picked up by a vehicle?)?" asked State Counsel Wilberto Tolitol, a member of the five-man panel. Justo replied: "Di ko napansin, gawa nang mapuno (I did not notice any vehicle because there were many trees.) Asked how he monitors the 13 "sleep out" inmates like Leviste, Justo only replied that his basis was "trust and confidence" on the inmate. The "sleep out" system for inmates is different from the "living out" system. Inmates detained at the minimum security camp are automatically granted "living out" status because they are about to complete the service of their sentences or because they are above 70 years old. Those living out can roam the NBP compound during daytime as part of BuCor's program to help them reintegrate into society. "Sleep out" inmates, on the other hand, can spend the night in private homes inside the prison compound but away from prison cell at the minimum security compound.
Conflicting statements Justo was also grilled for inconsistencies between his incident report on May 18, the day Leviste's unauthorized departure from NBP, and on his testimony before the panel. In his report, Justo said that at 4 p.m. on May 18, he was able to account for the 22 inmates he is monitoring, 13 of whom were sleeping outside the minimum security compound. But in his testimony, Justo said that in the headcount he conducted at 4 p.m. that day, Leviste was no longer present, which he said prompted him to report the matter to the Bureau Reservation Support Security Service (BRSSS). "Ang katotohanan po, alas-kwatro nalaman ko nang magbalik ako, wala na si Leviste. Pinahanap ko sa kasama niya kung andoon pa. Pero napag-alaman ko, wala na," Justo said. He was also caught giving another conflicting statement when he said that after learning that Leviste was missing, he and BRSSS personnel searched for the former governor until 9 p.m. that day. But Tolitol asked him why he should conduct the search until 9 p.m. when it was already reported at 6:30 p.m. that day that Leviste was missing. Justo then changed his statement and said he stopped his search at 6 p.m. Special favors for Leviste? In Tuesday's hearing, it was revealed that the request for Leviste's eight companions for his "sleep out" status was from BuCor Love Foundation, which Leviste heads himself. The DOJ panel noted that Justo signed the letter recommending that the eight inmates stay near Leviste's hut at the agricultural production section of Bilibid. Panel members then questioned Justo why he made the recommendation when only agriculture production section head Wilson Marquez can only write such. Justo only replied: "Pumipirma lang po ako. Hindi ko naman po alam na aaprubahan. Guwardiya lang naman po ako." Tolitol then presented a letter from Leviste's BuCor Love Foundation thanking Bilibid officials for approving the recommendation on the eight inmates. "Maliwanag na namili doon sa walo ay si inmate Leviste. Nagpasalamat sa inyong binibigay na tulong. Bagama’t ang ginamit na term ay BuCor Love Foundation, ang nakapirma ay si Leviste, kaya maliwanag na kanya rin ito," Tolitol said. Reporters tried to ask Justo if he accorded special favors to the former governor, but the custodian said he does not want to comment. NBP head wants 'sleep out' scheme scrapped Also on Tuesday, NBP head Chief Superintendent Ramon Reyes told the panel that if he had it his way, the "sleep out" privilege should be removed. But he added that a day after Leviste's so-called caper, BuCor Director Ernesto Diokno had already canceled the "sleep out" privileges for 109 inmates. It was also noted during the hearing that since 2008, 37 inmates from the minimum security compound had escaped the NBP reservation in Muntinlupa City. Of the escapees, one was on "sleep out" status. — KBK, GMA News