Senate adopts Senate panel recommendation to charge Faeldon, other Bilibid execs

The Senate has adopted the recommendation of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to file charges against former Bureau of Corrections director general Nicanor Faeldon and other Bilibid  officials over the Good Conduct Time Allowance controversy, including the near-release of ex-Calauan, Laguna mayor Antonio Sanchez.

Senator Richard Gordon sponsored and presented to the plenary Committee Report No. 42 on Tuesday.

Aside from Faeldon, also recommended to be charged were Ramoncito Roque (chief of the Documents and Record Section of BuCor); Ma. Benilda Bansil (corrections senior inspector); and Veronica Buno (corrections officer) for accepting money for the promise of early release of prisoners; and 3. Dr. Ernesto Tamayo (director, Directorate for Health Services, NBP Hospital); Dr. Ursicio D. Cenas (medical officer); and Ms. Meryl Benitez (nursing attendant) for accepting money in order for inmates to be confined in the New Bilibid Prison Hospital.

“The New Bilibid Prison became a place of vulnerability. Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL), while they deserve to be in prison because of their crimes, does not mean that they should be exploited and be taken advantage of. Their vulnerable situation makes them prone to the many extortions done inside the Bilibid,” Gordon said.

The committee recommended that:

• there should be a Model System of Penology;
• there should be full digitalization of the carpetas, which should be accessible to the public or the families of the concerned parties;
• there should be transparency, especially with regard to the computation of time allowances and release of prisoners;
• full digitization of all prisoner records is a must;
• digitalizing records of BuCor and BJMP employees and personnel for easy monitoring and filing;
• the New Bilibid Hospital should be maintained and be well-equipped with adequate medical services;
• there should be an operations center which can monitor every prisoner;
• the use of artificial intelligence, digital and video analytics with command center independent from each other, inside our prison facilities to ensure that the PDLs, guards, employees are constantly monitored; and
• there should also be a Code of Conduct followed.

— MDM, GMA News