Arraignment of Leviste, driver set for June 10

MANILA, Philippines - The arraignment of former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste and his driver Nilo Solis for evasion of service of sentence has been set for June 10.

Makati Metropolitan Manila Court (MTC) Judge Josefino Subia will handle the case of violation of Article 157 of the Revised Penal Code or Evasion of Service of Sentence.

Leviste and Solis, who was charged as his accomplice, faced an inquest before the Department of Justice (DOJ) after their arrest by National Bureau of Investigation operatives at the LPL Building in Makati City.

Despite being as “living-out” inmate of the New Bilibid Prison, Leviste is not allowed to leave the NBP compound.

Leviste is serving a 12-year prison term for homicide for killing his aide Rafael de las Alas in 2009.

If proven guilty of violating Article 157 of the Revised Penal Code, Leviste will have to serve six more years in prison.

The DOJ has recommended a P12,000 bail for Leviste and P6,000 for Solis. But since Leviste is still serving his sentence for homicide, only Solis will be given temporary liberty.

Overhaul

The DOJ, meanwhile, said there is a need for a “total overhaul” of the system in the NBP.

Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III said they would submit today to President Aquino a list of recommendations to prevent a repeat of Leviste’s caper based on the report of the five-man DOJ panel.

The report will also spell out criminal and administrative liabilities of Bureau of Correction (BuCor) and NBP officials.

Baraan did not specify the reforms recommended but said they were about “inculcating professionalism” in the penitentiary.

The DOJ official also revealed that the recommendations would include “replacement or reassignment, and retraining and reorientation of prison guards and some officers of NBP.”

He said they are also proposing changes in the implementation of living-out privileges given to inmates at the minimum-security compound.

“I have a memo for the secretary (Leila de Lima) which prohibits the automatic grant of ‘live out’ status to inmates who are classified as minimum security inmates. They (Bilibid officials) are making it automatic, when the live-out status should be reserved for those who are serving only one year or less on their sentences,” Baraan said.

Leviste reportedly started enjoying living out privileges when he turned 70 last year. He was allowed to stay in a nipa hut inside the NBP reservation so he could carry out his “billion trees program.” – With Edu Punay