JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II on Friday said he would create a fact-finding team to investigate two former high-ranking officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) who allegedly received millions of pesos from some high-profile inmates in exchange of providing them special treatment and allowing them to ply their illegal trade while being detained at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
The fact-finding team, which will be composed of DOJ undersecretaries and prosecutors, will investigate information received by the DOJ that two former officials were on the payroll of drug lords.
Aguirre, however, said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the National Police are now gathering evidence and conducting their own investigation against these two officials, whom he refused to name, although he confirmed they worked with the DOJ during the previous administration.
He added that the committee will also investigate why some high-profile inmates were not among those who were transferred to the NBI detention during the previous administration’s supposed campaign to neutralize drug operations and other illegal activities inside the NBP.
“I will create a fact-finding committee kung kinakailangan, this would assist the other investigating bodies. I believe that the police, the NBI are already conducting their own investigation dito,” he said.
The committee will also look into the multimillion-peso anomaly involving the daily meal allowance of the prisoners.
Aguirre disclosed that the 24,000 prisoners at the NBP used to be allotted P50 per day for meals, but this was lowered to P40 for no apparent reason.
But, the DOJ said, he received information that the P10 deduction, which translates to P240,000 a day, was pocketed by some erring DOJ and NBP officials.
Also to be investigated by the DOJ are religious groups acting as front for prostitution at the NBP.
Aguirre said he was informed by a representative of a non-governmental organization (NGO) and several prison guards that some religious groups are behind the smuggling of female prostitutes inside the NBP and illegal drugs.
These prostitutes, Aguirre said, were being paid P4,000 to P5,000 for sex.
“I really don’t know if there is only one group but we have an NGO that is saying…they saw me here at the DOJ, and they told me about this prostitution [racket], possible drugs and other prohibited items inside,”
Aguirre also disclosed that he has banned religious activities temporarily, while the Special Action Force troopers are still continuing the anti-illegal-drugs campaign inside the NBP.
Meanwhile, Aguirre said the National Police’s Special Action Force had managed to seize a total of P1.6 million in cash, sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, and packets of marijuana from inmates since the elite forces were deployed to guard the national penitentiary one week ago under Oplan Digmaang Droga.
Other prohibited items confiscated were 80 bladed weapons, 12 icepicks, a caliber .38 revolver, six improvised shot guns, 152 cellular telephones, 62 mobile-phone chargers and 48 television sets.
Aguirre said surprise raids were also conducted in other penal colonies in the country, like Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, Iwahig in Palawan and Zamboanga.