BY DHEL NAZARIO
High-profile inmate Jaybee Sebastian has died due to COVID-19 complications, an officer of Panteon de Dasmariñas where his remains were cremated, revealed Sunday.
According to the officer, Sebastian’s body was brought there at around 9:22 p.m. last Saturday by policemen and members of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). The officer added that his ashes were going to be picked up Sunday afternoon.
The death certificate provided by the officer showed that Sebastian died Saturday at 10:15 a.m. at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Hospital, NBP Reservation, Barangay Poblacion, Muntinlupa City.
His cause of death was acute myocardial infarction related to COVID-19.
Rumors about Sebastian’s death spread on Saturday but no one from the BuCor, NBP, nor the Department of Justice (DoJ) was able to confirm the information.
Sebastian was the leader of “Presidio,” one of the two prominent gangs inside the NBP, rivaling “Carcel,” the group headed by Herbert Colanggo, a convicted kidnapper. Congressional hearings in 2016 detailed the various activities of Sebastian inside the NBP.
A riot in the same year erupted inside the NBP and led to the death of Chinese drug lord Tony Co and wounding of Sebastian. It was said to have been perpetuated to prevent him from testifying against the illegal drug activities inside the national penitentiary but these allegations were later dismissed. (Dhel Nazario)
