Senators and anti-crime watchdogs yesterday expressed dismay over Bureau of Corrections officials after it was again revealed that convicts who are involved in high-profile cases live like kings inside the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City and are even active on Facebook.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson said that despite BuCor officials’ claim they are “strict” in prohibiting contraband like mobile phones, drugs, and firearms, these items are used freely by convicts, particularly those detained at the maximum security area, even under a new administration.
At the continuation of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation on the controversy over the Good Conduct Time Allowance law, Violence Against Crime and Corruption President Arsenio “Boy” Evangelista confirmed that Raymond Dominguez, the suspected leader of a car theft syndicate who was convicted for killing his son, can openly post on Facebook.
Evangelista said that as far as he knows, Dominguez is currently detained at Building 14, Maximum Security Area of the NBP.
Lacson affirmed this, saying that one of the mobile phones confiscated in the most recent raid inside Building 14 belongs to Dominguez.
“Sinabi nila kasi No. 1 contraband ‘yung cellphones, and yet the Persons Deprived with Liberty and even those detained at the maximum security openly use their mobile phones,” Lacson pointed out.
“And I’ll show it to you, openly because nag-popost sa Facebook eh. So blatantly, they are announcing to the whole world,” he said.
Evangelista said that further investigation of Dominguez’s posts on Facebook found out that the suspect financed the facial reconstructive surgery of his girlfriend, May Escasinas, whom he shot in the face inside the maximum security compound.
According to Evangelista, the incident, which happened in 2017, was not reported in the media, but was confirmed by then Bureau of Corrections chief and now Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. (Hannah Torregoza)