'Not fair' to say DOJ not transparent about BuCor conditions —Guevarra

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has defended his department from the Commission on Human Rights' (CHR) claim that it lacks transparency about the reported deaths of inmates in the New Bilibid Prison.

"The DOJ has been trying to uncover strange things happening at the BuCor. That's why it has ordered the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to step in. It is not fair to say that the department has not been transparent about the conditions at the BuCor," Guevarra said in a message to reporters on Sunday.

The CHR earlier said it had reached out to the DOJ to inquire about the list of deceased inmates, the COVID-19 situation, and the capacity of health facilities in the national penitentiary in June but has not yet received a response.

The commission also said it has received complaints from inmates' families.

Department undersecretary Deo Marco said he forwarded documents from the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to the CHR by mail last week.

"This kind of information is available only from the primary source. The DOJ does not keep the official files of the BuCor nor the personal records of PDLs (persons deprived of liberty),"  Guevarra said.

The department last week said the BuCor has confirmed that inmate Jaybee Sebastian, who was supposed to testify against Senator Leila De Lima in her trial for a drug case, died of COVID-19.

Guevarra ordered the NBI to investigate the deaths of Sebastian and of eight other prisoners who were convicted for drug offenses.

Amid reports that BuCor personnel were facing threats, Guevarra said corrections officers are "accustomed to threats from inside and outside the prison walls due to the nature of their job."

"They have adapted and they know what precautions to take," he said.

He said he has no personal knowledge of how serious the reported threats are. He said the BuCor itself can assess the threat level.

"Sanay ang BuCor sa ganyan. They co-exist with the most dangerous people in the country. They are on alert 24/7," Guevarra said.  —KBK, GMA News