De Lima given task of cleaning up NBP

MANILA, Philippines - The task of cleaning up the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) is for Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to carry out, Malacañang said yesterday.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said President Aquino has instructed De Lima to lead the cleanup of the NBP even if she had expressed openness to assuming the chairmanship of the Commission on Elections.

“There is an ongoing assessment of what measures should be taken by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor). So we defer to Secretary of Justice Leila de Lima as to the reform measures she intends to do and the President’s directive is that this thing should never be allowed to happen again, and this contraband and all these luxury amenities that these people should not be enjoying should not be there in the first place,” Lacierda said.

Last week, De Lima – with police and operatives from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) – made a surprise visit to the NBP where she discovered special air-conditioned cells for 19 convicted drug lords and heads of robbery syndicates which yielded automatic weapons, illegal drugs and cash amounting to around P2 million.

The cells were also found to have luxurious amenities like jacuzzis and a home theater system.

While three NBP officials have lost their jobs as a result of the discovery, BuCor director Franklin Bucayo has kept his. The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered an investigation of BuCor officials, including Bucayu.

De Lima said their investigation into the irregularity continues as more hidden rooms, appliances, contraband and even sex toys were discovered Friday.

Spiritual break

As the controversy over the VIP treatment of convicted drug lords at the NBP simmers, Manila Archbishop Antonio Cardinal Tagle celebrated his yearly mass at the maximum security penitentiary yesterday.

A prisoner presented to Tagle an image of a smiling Pope Francis drawn using wood burning art (pyrography), and asked the prelate to give it to the pope. The NBP is not in Francis’ itinerary in his visit to the Philippines next month.

“It was the image of a smiling Pope Francis, a wood burning art. Cardinal Tagle was asked to hand it over to Pope Francis when he visits the country this January to please the prisoners. The artwork was very good, it resembled Pope Francis,” Fr. Anton Pascual, executive director of Caritas Manila, said.

Tagle reportedly promised the inmates that their gift would reach the pope. “The cardinal will try to hand it over to the pope this January and take a picture, that is the request of the NBP inmates,” Pascual added.

Pascual said that visiting the prisoners at the NBP during Christmas time has been a yearly tradition for Tagle.

He clarified that Tagle’s visit had nothing to do with the recent raids on VIP cells launched by the police and the NBI.

In his homily, the archbishop told inmates that even if they were going through difficult times, they should keep their faith in God.

“They should not lose hope that they can still change. Even if they committed a sin, they could still change. They should show that they could change with the help of God,” Pascual said, recalling the cardinal’s homily.

Tagle arrived at the NBP at 9 a.m. After the hour-long mass at the chapel, he distributed certificates to some 50 inmates who took part in the Caritas Manila-Restorative Justice Ministry’s program wherein the participants were taught values formation, legal rights and short livelihood courses like wood burning art and reflexology. He left the compound after lunch.

No final word

Meanwhile, Lacierda also said there were no official discussions yet on whether De Lima or Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino is being groomed as possible replacement for retiring Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr.

“We cannot confirm that. There is no discussion yet as to who is going to be recommended as the next Comelec chair because that will still pass through...a confirmation process,” he said. “The President has not made any decision. The President has not informed us...of his choice.”

The STAR cited Comelec sources as saying Tolentino was being considered by Malacañang to replace Brillantes, who would retire in February 2015 together with Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph.

Also being eyed as Comelec chief, sources said, was De Lima. Sources said De Lima was being considered for the post because of her being an election lawyer before joining the government. Tolentino, meanwhile, specialized in public international law.

“The Palace is aware of the oncoming vacancies in some important positions,” Lacierda said.

He also said the Palace would help Comelec ensure peaceful and orderly elections, particularly in disseminating information so that voters would register and avoid getting disenfranchised.

“If we can help without violating any principles of independence from the Comelec, why not? But that will depend also on the specific assistance they will ask,” he said. “We just want to make sure that our help will not be interpreted as the executive branch having other intentions. If it’s something that we can help spread or disseminate the information for the need to register new voters, and it will not violate or it will not impinge on any requirements on independence on the Comelec, we can work something out.” – With Evelyn Macairan