By JEFFREY G. DAMICOG
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents found last Friday some P60-million worth of illegal drugs in a parked car in Ermita, Manila, based on information relayed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
Justice Undersecretary Antonio Kho said yesterday 20 kilograms of dimethoxy methylphenethylanime, a dangerous drug, was discovered in a parked car by agents of NBI Task Force Against Illegal Drugs (TFAID).
The operation stemmed from a letter of the BuCor requesting assistance for the arrest of a group involved in large-scale selling of drugs in southern part of Metro Manila.
“We have an informant, eto nga naging resulta, coordinated work ng BuCor at NBI,” Kho said.
Kho said the NBI operation only confirmed the claim of Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II that drug trading still continues inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
“We have not yet eliminated drug trade in the Philippines,” Kho, who also supervises the BuCor, told reporters.
He assured that the Department of Justice (DoJ), NBI and BuCor will continue efforts to eliminate drugs.
Due to the resurgence of illegal drug trade in the NBP, Aguirre ordered yesterday the return of all high profile inmates to the maximum security facility of the national penitentiary as he wants to find out the person who ordered their transfer to medium security section.
Aguirre also instructed the BuCor to get his approval first before transferring any high-profile inmate convicted of drug offenses.
“In the interest of service and pursuant to the provisions of existing laws, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), is hereby ordered to immediately return to their original detention facility, all inmates who were previously transferred from Building 14 to Maximum Security or Medium Security and from maximum Security to Medium Security, National Bilibid Prison (NBP), BuCor since 01 December 2016,” Aguirre stated in his order.
Building 14 is located in the maximum security section of the Bilibid and is supposed to house high-profile inmates including those who testified against detained Sen. Leila de Lima over her alleged involvement in the proliferation of narcotics trading at the national penitentiary.
Aguirre likewise ordered the BuCor to submit to him “the list and inventory of all inmates who were previously transferred to another detention facility within the NBP, including the reason for such transfer, the date when the inmate was transferred, the original detention facility to which they were transferred.”
Aguirre has appointed BuCor officer-in-charge its Administrative Division chief Rey Raagas following the resignation last July 13 of retired Police Chief Supt. Benjamin Delos Santos as BuCor director general.
Delos Santos decided to return to retirement following Aguirre’s revelations of the resurgence of drug trading at the NBP.
Aguirre has ordered the removal of the contingent of Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) from its assignment at the NBP.
He tapped the NBI to conduct an investigation over the resurgence of NBP illegal trade.
