By AARON RECUENCO, with a report from Jeffrey Damicog
The persistent reports about the continuous operations of convicted drug lords at the National Bilibid Prisons (NBP) may have prompted President Duterte to appoint national police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa as the next Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director.
And this early, Dela Rosa is already sending a stern message to the convicted drug lords for them to behave and stop their illegal activities.
“I will account everyone, where you are, and what you are doing and I will see to it that you will not continue your drug trafficking there,” said Dela Rosa.
The NBP has been notorious for the special treatment of wealthy inmates, especially the convicted drug lords who enjoy luxurious life and even gadgets which give them access to their contacts.
Senator Leila dela Lima was jailed over allegations of taking kickbacks from the operations of the drug lords when she was still the secretary of the Department of Justice which has direct supervision over NBP.
She denied the allegations and insisted that it is a political vendetta over her aggressive investigation on the Davao Death Squad which operations was being attributed to then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
But the operations continued as revealed by Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre despite the Special Action Force guarding the NBP. Police officials, however, said that most of the convicted drug lords, especially those who testified against de Lima, were taken out of the facility being guarded by SAF.
Dela Rosa said stopping the full operation of the convicted drug lords is apparently the goal of Duterte for putting him at the BuCor.
“There is no other reason why the President wanted me there but to stop their happy days of selling drugs,” said Dela Rosa.
Asked if it would also be bloody at the NBP when he becomes BuCor head, Dela Rosa said it would depend on the actions of the drug lords inside.
“If they would shoot it out with me, if they want to fight with me, then it would be bloody. But if they would not, then it would be peaceful. What is important is that they stop,” said Dela Rosa.
“So see you there after my extension,” he added.
Meanwhile, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II yesterday welcomed Dela Rosa’s appointment as next BuCor chief.
“Definitely I support his appointment and I know that his stint as CPNP (PNP chief) will be very useful in addressing the problems in the BuCor,” he stated.
Even before President Duterte announced the appointment, Aguirre revealed being consulted about Dela Rosa’s assignment to the BuCor.
“I wholeheartedly agreed and supported it,” Aguirre recounted.
“As a matter of fact, I endorsed to the Palace the appointments of the three Deputy Directors of Bucor, who are all retired mistah of Gen. Bato,” added the Secretary said.
Aguirre was referring to retired police generals Valfrie Tabian who is now the director general officer-in-charge, Melvin Ramon Buenafe and Heriberto Olitoquit.
“BuCor needs the kind of caliber of Gen. Bato to solve its very difficult problems,” he reiterated.