President Aquino cancels Bilibid inspection

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday canceled a scheduled surprise inspection at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa (NBP) City, Department of Justice Public Information Office head Alex Lactao told GMA News Online. Aquino was supposed to be accompanied by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who had vowed to implement reforms at the Bureau of Corrections, which supervises the NBP. But because the inspection was canceled, which was also confirmed by Malacañang, Lactao said De Lima instead went to the maximum security compound to meet with the so-called "Abadilla 5," the five men convicted for the killing of former Marcos-era Constabulary officer Rolando Abadilla. Last April, the families of the five men – SPO2 Cesar Fortuna, Rameses de Jesus, Lenido Lumanog, Joel de Jesus, and Augusto Santos – sent De Lima a letter seeking presidential pardon for the Abadilla 5. Last week, De Lima joined the House of Representatives justice committee in inspecting the NBP's maximum security compound. The operations at the national penitentiary have been under scrutiny after the unauthorized departure of jailed ex-Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste from NBP's premises last month. Shortly after Leviste's caper, Aquino ordered De Lima to submit to him a comprehensive plan on how to address the national penitentiary's most pressing problems, including alleged illegal drug trade and the congestion of prisoners there. The NBP houses about 23,000 inmates, 12,000 of whom are detained at the maximum security compound. The rest are detained at the medium and minimum security camps. Tightened security Shortly before the announcement that Aquino's "surprise inspection" was canceled, security at the NBP was tightened early Wednesday. Presidential guards limited the flow of traffic into the NBP compound as of 8 a.m., according to a report by radio dzBB’s Sam Nielsen. A Palace advance party was also at the site for the inspection. The report said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was also to take part in the inspection. Even media representatives covering the inspection were not spared from the tight security inspections, the report said. — LBG, GMA News