Seventeen of the infamous "Bilibid 19" have been brought back to the New Bilibid Prisons from the NBI. You will recall that nineteen of these so-called "VIP" inmates were transferred to the NBI after a surprise raid on their "kubols" showed them living in a way other than an incarcerated inmate. All the luxuries of a millionaire were at their disposal. Split-type air condition units, large flat screen TVs, high end stereo systems, laptops and desktops with internet connections, cellphones, a complete kitchen, a nice bathroom, and even a Jacuzzi and recording studio with band instruments! Their places rivaled many hotels in the country. This aside from the cash and weapons to guarantee their definition of imprisonment.
Now, they will be held in an eight square meter cell, with just a bed, a sink and "tabo" to use. No more fancy showers, no more nice place to sleep in, no more entertainment systems to while away the time, no more kitchen to cook their favorite meals, no more communication to their cohorts outside the prison to ensure a continuation of their criminal activities, all that gone. I would assume even female company, along with the sex toys they also found would no longer be enjoyed. A CCTV per cell keeps a constant watch over them to ensure their sentences are carried out and they pay their debt to society. This is all well and good. But the question remains, who watches the watchers?
Whatever these criminals were able to enjoy while in their former "kubols" could only have been possible with the blessing of prison guards and officials. Only an idiot would believe that the guards and officials had no idea all these were happening. The DOJ has ensured that the guards who will now be assigned to the new building would not be bought nor bribed by the criminals. That remains to be seen as money is a powerful tool in the wrong hands. What the DOJ must also address is how these imprisoned criminals are able to continue their illegal trade. If there is no business, then there is no money to throw around and buy whatever they want.
For years these "lords" have lived in their protracted kingdoms much better than a large percentage of the free population. That all stops now. They must now feel what it is like to be a prisoner, paying their debts to society. They must be devoid of any kind of luxury, even privileges. And while they stew in their respective cells, no possibility of contact to the outside world must be established. The eight square meter cell must be the only world they know. As for those tasked to watch over them, we can only hope they are true to their jobs, as so many before them have failed.