New Bilibid Prison drug trafficking scandal
[3][4][5] Reports of illegal drug trafficking and use among inmates of the New Bilibid Prison have surfaced increasingly since 2014 when officials under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III launched a series of raids under Oplan Galugad ("Operation Surprise Inspection") at the national penitentiary.
[6] In subsequent raids, police also found other items and contrabands prohibited in the prison such as firearms and bladed weapons, mobile phones, flat screen TVs, laptops, WIFi, luxury Patek Philippe, Cartier and Rolex watches, sauna and over ₱2 million in cash from body searches of several high profile inmates.
[7][8] In the luxurious villa of convicted drug lord Peter Co linked by secret pathways to areas around the Bilibid, authorities also seized documents containing a list of names with corresponding cash amounts and dates.
"[12] Leila de Lima, then running for senator, slammed Duterte's allegation and said there was no truth in the claims that drug trade flourished in the Bilibid during the Aquino administration.
[13] Following his victory in the May 2016 elections, Duterte launched an intensified anti-drug campaign and ordered the investigation of the personalities behind the proliferation of illegal drug trade at the Bilibid.
[14] On July 7, 2016, just one week since he took office, Duterte publicly named the top three drug lords behind the huge syndicates in the country and threatened to kill them if they continue their operations.
[15][16] While Duterte earlier identified five Philippine National Police generals as protectors of the drug lords, he also said that his administration is investigating several other government officials and local executives as "persons of interest.
"[17] Earlier, a video went viral on social media showing De Lima singing at a party with what netizens claimed to be the convicted drug lord Herbert Colanggo.
[18] From July 20–26, 2016, in the first major raids at the Bilibid since President Duterte took office, the Special Action Force troopers which took over the prison's security operations from the Bureau of Corrections jail guards, was able to confiscate ₱1.1 million worth of contraband including firearms, mobile phones, marijuana and shabu.
[3][5] General Bucayo was identified as protector of the narco politicians who was appointed as the PNP Director for Region 1 and as the Bureau of Corrections chief through the help of Secretary de Lima.
[25] The two NBI officers, Reynaldo Esmeralda and Ruel Lasala, were discharged by the former Justice Secretary in March 2014 on grounds of their alleged links to the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam, other "derogatory reports" about them, and being presidential appointees, they can be removed by simple loss of integrity and confidence.
Jonathan Caranto and Edna Obuyes, both former receiving clerks in the department under De Lima, presented bank deposit slips showing money transfers in millions of pesos to Ronnie Dayan's account.
[31] In a speech during his visit to police officers wounded or killed in the ongoing war against drugs on August 29, 2016 in Tacloban, President Duterte called for the senator to resign and said "If I were De Lima, I'll [sic] hang myself.
[37] On September 27, 2016 during the inspection of the biggest shabu factory ever discovered by the PNP and PDEA in Arayat, Pampanga, President Duterte cleared former Pangasinan Governor Amado Espino Jr., Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan and Board Member Raul Sison of the charges relating to the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison, publicly apologized to them for the lapse in the validation of the intelligence report, but maintained that the charges of illegal mining against Espino and Baraan remain valid as the Sandiganbayan has already decided on the case and ordered their suspension.
Abu, on the other hand, said he wanted the inquiry to focus on the Bilibid prison raids where a shabu laboratory, high-powered firearms, other weapons and luxury items were discovered.
[43] The House Committee on Justice led by its chairman Representative Reynaldo Umali scheduled the probe beginning on September 20, 2016 with the accused Ronnie Dayan tapped as the principal resource person.
[48] Secretary Aguirre requested for legislative immunity for the witnesses who will testify which was granted by House Speaker Alvarez after no objections were raised by the committee members present.
[49] The Department of Justice then presented the 2013 Discovery Channel documentary "Inside the Gangsters' Code" which featured the gangs controlling the Bilibid and their illegal drug operations both in and out of the maximum security prison.
[49] By the end of the House probe on November 24, 2016, the following resource persons have presented their testimonies at the committee: Bilibid inmates Herbert Colanggo, Noel Martinez, Rodolfo Magleo, Jaime Patcho, Jojo Baligad, Froilan Trestiza, Hans Anthony Tan, Peter Co and Jaybee Sebastian; NBI officers Rafael Ragos and Jovencio Ablen; PNP Deputy Director Benjamin Magalong; and former security aides Joenel Sanchez and Ronnie Dayan.
[49][52] Herbert Colanggo,[53] one of the Bilibid 19 or the high profile drug lord inmates that were found to be living in luxury kubols in 2014, exposed the PR payola being paid to several government officials in exchange for special treatment and for being able to bring in contraband in the prison.
[58] On the second day of the hearing at the House committee, Secretary Aguirre presented as witness Philippine National Police deputy chief Benjamin Magalong who previously headed the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
[59] Magalong, who was appointed CIDG chief in December 2013, said he proposed the case operation plan to then Secretary De Lima in May 2014 after his team's findings from recent illegal drug arrests point to the New Bilibid Prison as source.
Magalong said those who carried out the December 15 raid were only De Lima, Bucayo, Villasanta and General Marcelo Garbo of ISAFP with units of the PNP SAF and NCRPO (National Capital Region Police Office) as their main force.
[61] On accusations by inmate Herbert Colanggo of serving as a bagman for De Lima, Sanchez claimed that he did know his manager Renante Diaz through his colleague Vic Mercado.
[62] He claimed he was actually stabbed inside the Bilibid by inmates connected to De Lima, one of whom he identified as convict ex-Chief Inspector Clarence Dongail, to prevent him from testifying before the House Committee.
[63] In his testimony after being granted an immunity from suit by the House Speaker, Sebastian claims De Lima was the drug protector in the Bilibid and that he did raise funds to help bankroll her senatorial bid for the May 2016 Senate elections.
"[64] He claimed to have spoken with De Lima around twelve times during this whole transaction and that his first drug money amounting to ₱2 million was remitted to Sanchez right after the December 2014 Bilibid raid.
[63] The House Committee on Justice resumed its probe on the Bilibid drug trade after the arrest of Ronnie Dayan, De Lima's former driver, bodyguard and lover, on November 22, 2016 in San Juan, La Union.
"[66] In his four-page affidavit which he said he was not forced to execute nor was he rewarded for by the government, Ronnie Dayan admitted his relationship with De Lima and narrated his experience working for the former Justice secretary.
Jerome Secillano gave this reaction after the President called de Lima "immoral" for her relationship with her married driver and alleged Bilibid drug money collector.
