Bantag tasked inmates to sell contraband inside NBP, says PDL

Suspended Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Gerald Bantag tasked certain inmates to sell contraband items inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and forced inmates to buy them, a person deprived of liberty (PDL) said.

NBP inmate Roland Villaver said he was given the assignment to make money for Bantag’s group since he had been close to the suspended BuCor chief, according to John Consulta’s “24 Oras” report on Friday.

“Inilagay na nila akong kumander doon sa kwerna. Ako na yung ginamit nilang taga salo ng mga kung tawagin nila ay ‘special offer.’ Doon ko nakita yung sistema,” Villaver said.

He said different kinds of contraband were smuggled, however, they had the biggest profit in the smuggled beer cans in the jail.

“Yung buong isang truck na pinasok, 2,000 boxes yung nakalagay lang sa mga lata na in can. And then yung iba ibang alak pa. Sigarilyo, for the boys na lang yun,” Villaver said.

“Ang per box, kung bultuhan ang bilihan, nasa aabot lang ng almost P1,000 [ang bilihan]. Sa loob, aabot yan ng P20,000 to P25,000 isang kahon,” he added.

Villaver said he remitted almost millions weekly to Bantag’s group and sometimes he even delivers it himself.

“Tuwing deliver, weekly, P5 million, P5 million weekly ang binibigay namin sa kanya. Ako ang nagpapadeliver sa pera sa kanya,” he said.

“Pag binagsak sa mga kumander yun, ibabagsak din ng mga kumander sa mayor. Ang mayor ang mamomroblema kung paano niya babayaran. Ilalatag sa mga tao, yung mga tao hindi alam kung paano nila babayaran,” he added.

Villaver earlier revealed that Bantag also ordered the killing of inmates believed to be behind a Facebook page that criticized how he ran the NBP.

The BuCor and the Department of Justice (DOJ) said the investigation is ongoing following the revelations of Villaver.

“We’ve looked at it already, it’s a centralized system, from the gates of Muntinlupa opening up to the delivery of these contrabands,” Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla said.

“If they are able to do those things still, it means the system is not succeeding. We have to stop it. Dapat talaga awatin na ‘yan, itigil na yang kalokohan na ‘yan,” he added.

“Kusang sinuko nila eh, hindi naman ako nag-oplan oplan paglilinis, voluntary 'yan binigay ng mga PDL. Tapos tinatanong ko, saan ba galing yan? Bakit ang daming ganyan? sir, binibigay sa amin yan, binebenta, and then P1,000 ang presyo,” BuCor acting director general Gregorio Catapang Jr. said.

“Dapat nga mareform sila tapos sila pa ang inaabuso natin, so paano sila magrereform? Kung ang pagupo ko rito, mission failed ang BuCor, yung dapat pangalagaan yung mga PDL,” he added.

GMA Integrated News is still trying to get the side of Bantag.

He earlier said that the contraband taken in the NBP was planted after he was removed from the post. —Richa Noriega/NB, GMA Integrated News