Bribery still on at Bilibid despite change in leadership —Bantag

The bribery of prison officers by influential inmates continues at the New Bilibid Prison despite the change in the leadership of the Bureau of Corrections, BuCor director general Undersecretary Gerald Bantag said on Tuesday.

Bantag said drug lords inside the penitentiary are targeting his subordinates with bribes.

“Talagang matindi," he said.

“Hindi na sa akin, eh. Pero definitely gagawa 'yan ng paraan dahil 'di ba history repeats itself? Alam naman nating ang daming drug lord diyan, 'di ba? Ano bang ini-expect mo sa mga drug lord? Binibili ang pati kaluluwa yata eh 'di ba?” he added.

Bantag was appointed BuCor director general last month, after President Rodrigo Duterte fired Nicanor Faeldon over the release of high-profile convicts of heinous crimes due to the questionable application of Republic Act No. 10592, the law providing for reduced sentences due to good conduct.

Bantag has been a controversial pick, having been charged over the death of 10 inmates in an explosion at the Parañaque City Jail in August 2016 when he was still its warden.

PNP-SAF

Bantag said criminal and administrative raps await penitentiary personnel who are discovered to be taking bribes.

“Meron tayong nakukuha paminsan-minsan pero hindi 'yung kagaya dati. May mangilan-ngilan pa ring nakakalusot,” PNP Special Action Force director Police Major General Amando Empiso said.

In a bid to eliminate familiarity with inmates, the SAF contingents deployed to guard the NBP are regularly replaced.

Up to 70 members of the 33rd Special Action Company of the Third Battalion replaced the 72nd Special Action Company of the 7th Battalion during the changing of guard ceremony on Tuesday afternoon.

The changing of the SAF guards came after the change in leadership and the replacement of over 300 personnel of the BuCor at the NBP.

“SAF, inaasahan ko kayo, namin kayo na magpaka-SAF. 'Yung kung ang giyera nga hindi n'yo inaatrasan diba?” Bantag said during the ceremony.

“Ito lang kailangan maging matibay ka sa lakas at dami ng suhol,” he added.

The changing of SAF guards will continue every six months to make sure the prisoners will not get too familiar with the troopers.

“Wala naman akong masabi kundi kailangan lang talagang magpalit para ma-refresh naman kayo. Para fresh blood naman ang susunod,” Bantag said.

Empiso said guarding inmates at the NBP needed the veterans among the SAF members.

“Dito, mga beterano gusto natin. Pagpasok ng kontrabando ang focus natin pati yung mga communication gadgets. Yung mga bagong graduate supposedly trained for terrorism ang mapunta sa field,” Empiso said.

The National Capital Region Police Office will also deploy police officers at the NBP.

“Simula't sapul ang problema namin ay droga at nakita natin na dito ang pinagsisimulan ng droga. Eh might as well tulungan namin ito,” NCRPO Police Major General Guillermo Eleazar said.

“Initially yung 550 nilagay natin dito. Ang role naman natin is to check them from time to time para  siguraduhin na hindi sila matutukso,” he added.

A quad intelligence force composed of the NCRPO, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the National Bureau of Investigation and the AFP's Joint Task Force NCR has also been formed to gather information on illegal activities inside the penitentiary. —NB/BM, GMA News