THE Department of Justice and the Bureau of Corrections remain mum on reports that several high-profile inmates at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa have died after falling victims to COVID-19.
As of this writing, Bucor director, Gerald Bantag, remained closeted with Justice secretary Menardo Guevarra at the latter’s office to discuss the reports.
Before the meeting, Guevarra refused to answer media’s queries on the matter and said he would just let Bantag do the talking—if he agrees.
The public is anxious for the release of the official list and confirmation of those who perished from the pandemic considering the bad reputation of the Bucor as a corrupt institution and as the main “contact point” in the country’s robust illegal drug trade.
Although already behind bars, drug lords still continue to traffic illegal drugs thru the use of cellphones and other communication gadgets that found their way inside the NBP, courtesy of corrupt prison guards and officials.
Only last year, the Bucor was also investigated by Congress over the issue of “freedom for sale” or the ‘Good Conduct Time Allowance’ (GCTA) scandal, where, even hardened criminals and drug lords have managed to shorten their sentences and eventually regain their freedom after bribing prison and justice officials responsible for preparing the GCTA list.
So far, a list released by a crematorium in Dasmariñas, Cavite, showed that 29 convicts, one of them, Jaybee Niño Sebastian, was cremated after dying from the virus.
Sebastian, one of the main witnesses who testified on the involvement of former justice secretary, Leila de Lima in the country’s illegal drugs business during the Aquino administration, was supposed to have been cremated last Saturday, July 18, 2020.
Another notorious drug lord who also purportedly died from the virus is Amin Boratong, operator of the infamous “Pasig Shabu Tiangge” who was finally sent to the NBP in 2009.
But again, Bantag has refused to confirm his death.
In a brief statement to the press before meeting Guevarra, Bantag merely acknowledged that “there are PDL (persons deprived of liberty) who died due to COVID-19.”
Bantag took refuge in the Data Privacy Act (RA 10173) in refusing to disclose the names of the virus’ victims, although the crimes committed by the deceased were all matters of public record.