5 prisoners bolt NBP in a month

MANILA, Philippines - At least five prisoners have reportedly escaped from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City since retired police general James Bucayu assumed the post of Bureau of Corrections director last month.

A source told The STAR that all of the escapees were minimum security prisoners or those who have “living out status” privileges.

The latest was on Friday, when Jo Marie Fortuna climbed over the minimum security compound’s fence at about 11:30 p.m. to escape from the state penitentiary.

Living out prisoners are those allowed to roam the NBP reservation each day. Most of them were either old or about to be released. Usually, they are allowed to leave the minimum security compound after the morning headcount but are expected to return for the headcount in the afternoon.

“But some of them choose not to come back anymore,” the source said.

Incidents involving living out prisoners hogged the limelight after homicide convict former Batangas governor Antonio Leviste was found to have been leaving NBP compound.

Retired police general Ernesto Diokno, who was the BuCor director at that time, was sacked and replaced by retired military general Gaudencio Pangilinan.

A year later, Pangilinan was also replaced after murder convict Rolito Go claimed he had been abducted from the prison compound. – Aie Balagtas See, Perseus Echeminada