Heads will roll over 2-storey mansion inside Bilibid compound –De Lima

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has ordered an investigation into reports that two inmates have been able to build a two-storey house and a swimming pool inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

"Hindi dapat iyan ganyan na pag-aari ng isang privileged inmate. Wala dapat ganoon. So pinapaimbestiga ko na agad iyan," said De Lima on Tuesday.

She said she instructed Bureau of Corrections director Franklin Jesus Bucayu to come up with a report on the matter immediately so she "can act accordingly."

If the investigation would eventually show that NBP personnel were responsible for allowing the construction of the house and the swimming pool, De Lima warned: "Well heads must roll. Kung sino iyong responsable at kung bakit pinabayaan iyan."

An earlier report claimed that Amin Imam Boratong, convicted in 2006 for maintaining a shabu tiangge in Pasig City, is supposed to be serving time at the facilty's maximum security compound but is reportedly staying at his newly built two-storey house beside the NBP chapel.

Meanwhile, another inmate, identified only as a certain Sebastian, who was convicted of drug trafficking and serving time at Dormitory 9-C1, reportedly had a 10 by 15-meter swimming pool built at the back of the NBI compound.

De Lima noted how the reports on the illegal construction inside the NBP came while the DOJ and NBP officials are looking into separate reports that the illegal drug trade continues inside the national penitentiary.

"Kahapon ko nabasa. Bago lang iyan. Kasi right now, we are really taking certain operations, addressing yang mga illegal entry ng contrabands, gadgets, drugs, drug trade within the NBP. Nakasentro kami doon," said De Lima.

De Lima said she has so far received good feedback on the ongoing reshuffle at the NBP, resulting from allegations that its personnel had been conniving with convicted drug traffickers at the facility.

"Talaga namang we recognize the problems within BuCor... Pero it's more of systemic. Talagang andiyan na iyong mga problema diyan," she said.

De Lima said she was looking forward to the formal launching of the implementing rules and regulations of the BuCor Modernization Act, which would help address among others the shortage in NBP personnel by hiring more. —KBK, GMA News