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De Lima: Drug lords in Bilibid may have bribed BuCor execs


Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Monday said she received reports that some drug lords detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) may have given P2 million- to P5-million bribes for the transfer of inmates from rival drug syndicates to penal colonies or farms in the provinces. "One of the issues there is the transfers involving drug syndicates, and BuCor (Bureau of Corrections) officials are earning money from this. One drug lord would allegedly bribe or give money to a BuCor official so that a rival drug lord will be sent to a penal colony," De Lima told reporters. "They want to eliminate the competition and I'm shocked to learn reports about that," De Lima added. She said the inter-agency technical working group that will look into the key problems besetting the country's prison system will also look into the alleged bribery of drug lords to Bureau of Corrections officials. De Lima has also issued Department Circular No. 25 reminding the BuCor, a DOJ attached agency, about the tight guidelines in transferring New Bilibid Prison inmates to penal colonies. The circular was issued because of reports that inmates are being transferred to the colonies to give way to "unhampered underground or clandestine activities of rival syndicates, particularly those involved in illegal drugs." In the circular, De Lima said she must first approve the transfer of inmates to any of the penal farms to avert arbitrary and unauthorized transfers. "The Department has received, on numerous occasions, complaints from prisoners and their relatives regarding the alleged unreasonable or arbitrary transfers of national prisoners to the different penal colonies/penal farms under the control and supervision of the BuCor," De Lima said. The NBP, the national penitentiary, houses about 23,000 convicted inmates who are serving their sentences. Female convicts, on the other hand, are detained at the Correctional Institution for Women. The penal colonies and farms in the country are Davao Prison and Penal Farm, Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm, and Leyte Regional Prison. Section 4, Chapter 5 of the Bureau of Corrections Operating Manual said the BuCor director may transfer an inmate to a penal colony or farm when he is "physically and psychologically fit to absorb the rehabilitative program in the colony" and "that such assignment is therapeutically indicated." In her department circular, De Lima said that if an NBP inmate is positively identified as being involved in criminal activites, he may be transferred to a penal farm as a corrective or therapeutic measure. Leviste incident The BuCor leadership, which supervises the New Bilibid Prison, has been underfire for failing to prevent former Batangas Gov. Antonio Leviste from walking in and out of the national penitentiary without permit. Leviste, who has admitted that his departure last May 18 was unauthorized, has asked the DOJ panel looking into his so-called caper to spare BuCor and NBP officials from punishment. The panel, however, named six prison officials, including former BuCor director Ernesto Diokno, who shold be liable for the incident. But because Diokno has resigned last Monday, he can no longer be sanctioned administratively. - VVP, GMA News

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