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Magalong: BuCor chief was against drug raid in Bilibid during De Lima's term


Philippine National Police (PNP) deputy chief for operations Director Benjamin Magalong on Wednesday testified that he was asked not to push through a proposed raid at the New Bilibid Prison, which they determined to be the source of illegal drugs.

During Wednesday's hearing of the House of Representatives Committee on Justice, Magalong testified that he proposed a drug raid at the national penitentiary during Sen. Leila De Lima’s term as Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary in 2014.

Magalong used to head the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). His team conceptualized a plan dubbed as “Oplan Cronus” for the massive raid in the NBP maximum security compound.

Magalong said his team hatched the plan after finding out that most of the drug dealers being arrested by the PNP were allegedly getting their drug supply from the NBP.

“We found out na ang pinanggalingan ng droga, ang mga ka-deal nila dito ay mga tao sa loob ng NBP,” Magalong said.

Magalong said he first discussed with De Lima the drug trade situation in the NBP sometime in May 2014.

“Nag-usap kami at prinesent ko ang aming findings sa kanya (De Lima). We were surprised na may whiteboard siya sa loob ng opisina niya, may diagram tungkol sa nangyayari sa NBP, may mga drug personality doon,” Magalong recounted.

“Sabi ko, ‘Ma’am kailangan natin i-raid ang NBP dahil ito na nangyayari ang [drug] trade,” Magalong recounted.

De Lima reportedly responded by saying that she will call for an inter-agency meeting.

Four meetings were held among the top officials of CIDG, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Magalong said.

Inter-agency meeting

During the first inter-agency meeting, Magalong said he was surpised to see Bureau of Corrections officer Rafael Ragos when no official of the BuCor was supposed to be in the meeting.

“Nagulat ako at nasenyasan ko si Secretary De Lima, bakit nandun si Ragos. Nakita ko naman po na kahit si De Lima nagulat din bakit nandun si Ragos. In short, pinalabas siya (Ragos) and we started our brainstorming session,” Magalong said.

Ragos, in an earlier House hearing, testified that he and his subordinate, NBI intelligence agent 1 Jovencio Ablen Jr., allegedly delivered a total of P10 million to the house De Lima in Parañaque in two instances in 2012.

Ragos claimed that the money came from NBP inmate and known drug lord Peter Co.

Meanwhile, after the planning sessions had been concluded, De Lima allegedly instructed Magalong to wait for the joint Letter of Instruction (LOI) from the Secretary of Justice and then Secretary of Interior and Local Government (SILG) Mar Roxas.

“Sabi niya (De Lima), hintay ka lang Benjie, hintay ka lang Benjie…Then we waited and we waited and we waited (for the LOI). Then nalaman ko December, bigla na nagpaplano na sila (DOJ) ng raid,” Magalong said.

Bucayu's "hesitation"

Meanwhile, during Wednesday's hearing, Magalong said their team eventually informed then BuCor director Franklin Bucayu about the raid that they wanted to conduct in the NBP.

Inmate Herbert Colanggo earlier testified that Bucayu used to receive commissions from the illegal drug trade in NBP.

“Pagka-invite namin kay Bucayu, he manifested kung pwede 'di ituloy ang raid. Sabi niya (Bucayu) mahihirapan kami. Ang dami niyang binanggit na negative. But we prevailed [upon him] at sabi ko ‘Sir itutuloy namin ito’,” Magalong recounted. 

Sometime in September 2014, while waiting for the joint LOI, Magalong said Bucayu visited him in his office in the CIDG.

Bucayu was accompanied by then Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) executive director General Reginald Villasanta, Magalong said.

“Pinuntahan ako sa office ko sa CIDG. Sabi nila ‘Benjie kung pwede huwag mo i-raid ang NBP’. Sabi ko sa kanila, ‘Bakit sir, nakita nyo naman ang development sa loob’,” Magalong said.

“Sabi ni Bucayu, ‘Benjie mamamatay ako, delikado ako dyan,’” Magalong recounted.

Magalong  said he then told Bucayu to bring up the matter to De Lima.

“Sabi ko 'di ako magde-decide. Ang pinakamaayos na mag-decide is the SOJ (Secretary of Justice),” Magalong said.

Magalong said Bucayu requested him to arrange a meeting with De Lima.

“Sabi ko sige sir, so tinawagan ko si Secretary De Lima. After that, nag-usap sila,” Magalong said.

In the end, Magalong said the PDEA was not included in the drug raid conducted in the NBP.   The raid eventually led to the transfer of 19 high-profile inmates dubbed as the “Bilibid 19” from the NBP to the NBI facility in Manila.

“Naghihintay kami (CIDG and PDEA) then finally nagkaroon sila ng raid na wala na kami. Then ang pinadala na lang na request sa PDEA ay K-9 na lang,” Magalong recounted.

“To be honest with you, kami sa CIDG at PDEA masamang masama ang loob namin,” Magalong added.

During Wednesday’s hearing, Magalong testified that he originally proposed to De Lima that the high-profile inmates involved in the illegal drug trade be isolated in Palawan or in Zamboanga.

“Sabi niya (De Lima), ‘Tama, tama.’ Then nagulat ako 'di na kami nasali [sa raid], 'di na nagawa ang napag-usapan na isolation,” Magalong said.

2014 raid in Bilibid

De Lima, accompanied by the personnel of the NBI, conducted a raid in the NBP maximum security compound on December 15, 2014.

Several lavish kubols or quarters of the inmates were discovered and some illegal drugs were seized. 

At the House hearing, NBP inmates Rodolfo Magleo and Herbert Colanggo testified that the transfer of the “Bilibid 19” was orchestrated by gang leader Jaybee Sebastian allegedly to monopolize the drug trade in NBP.

Magleo claimed that Sebastian paid De Lima P10 million for the transfer of the "Bilibid 19" inmates.

Magleo also alleged that Sebastian pooled money from the illegal drug trade to finance the 2016 senatorial bid of De Lima. — VVP, GMA News

 

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