Former execution chamber soon to house ‘Bilibid 19’

A newly renovated building inside the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison will soon house the 19 high-profile inmates who allegedly enjoyed special privileges while detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) headquarters in Manila.

Building 14, a high-security facility that once housed the execution chamber for death convicts and which became a disciplinary area in the 80s, was inspected by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday morning to personally assess the renovation.

De Lima said she will coordinate with other agencies to draw up a list of high-profile inmates who would be transferred to Building 14.

"The moment ma-finalize po namin ang list, puwede na siguro ilipat [ang inmates]," she said. "We will concentrate first sa mga drug inmates."

A raid at NBP's maximum security compound last December led to the discovery that the 19 inmates possessed prohibited items like money, illegal drugs, sex toys, and communication devices.

Authorities also found out that the inmates were still able to conduct drug transactions even while behind bars.

The inmates were taken out of the NBP and brought to the NBI headquarters in Manila, where they were temporarily detained while awaiting the completion of Building 14's renovation.

In the middle of their detention at NBI, however, raids inside their cells once again yielded prohibited items, including mobile phones and even lechon during the holidays.

De Lima said she would be getting inputs from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the NBI, and the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines regarding the list.

"Kailangan wala tayong ma-miss diyan... for them to be disabled completely from continuing with their illegal acts," she said, noting that Building 14 is equipped with cellphone signal jammers.

"Sisiguraduhin namin na iyong jammers will really work," she said. "We will put in the right people here, guards and supervisor para hindi makalusot [dito sa] high-security complex na ito." —KBK, GMA News