THE Department of Justice (DOJ) will not allow New Bilibid Prison (NBP) inmate Jaybee Sebastian to be transferred in another penal colony.
In a press conference on Wednesday, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the department will not grant Sebatian's request to be transferred to the maximum security compound.
"Hindi siya maaring makapamili. Dapat 'yung prison administration kasi sa maximum, dun nga walang jammer e. Since he is one of the big time drug lords, bakit ko dun ilalagay?" Aguirre said.
Bureau of Correction (Bucor) Officer-in-charge Rolando Asuncion in an earlier interview disclosed that he considers placing the inmates involved in last Wednesday's riot in building 14 temporarily, after their hospitalization, while the Bucor is preparing a space for them inside the maximum, in the area within the reach of the signal jammers.
Three high-valued inmates Peter Co, Marvin Sy and Sebastian are still in Muntinlupa Medical Center receiving treatment after obtaining fatal wounds from the riot in building 14 involving eight inmates. The riot led to the killing of drug lord Tony Co.
According to Aguirre, he considers only two options: placing the inmates back in building 14 or transferring these drug lords in a penal farm.
"Balik sila sa building 14 o kaya baka mag-away sila pag andun silang lahat, might as well i-transfer sila sa penal farms," he said.
Aguirre said that he will not place the high-valued inmates in maximum security compound, where they can transact illegal business, as the signal jammers can only cover the building 14.
"'Pag walang cellphone, walang transaction, bakit ko sila ilalagay sa place na pwede ulit silang mag-transact?" he said.
According to Aguirre, the DOJ also asked the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the lead agency probing the case, to extend its custody on the other four high-profile inmates involved in the riot: Clarence Dongail, Tomas Doniña, Edgar Cinco and Ruben Tiu.
"Humingi kami ng extension sa CIDG baka pwede muna dun kasi baka magkagulo," he said.
Bucor spokesperson Sonny del Rosario earlier confirmed that these inmates involved in the rumble were transferred to CIDG headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City on Sunday.
According to del Rosario, it is safer for Sebastian, Co and Sy to remain in the Building 14 as the other inmates involved in the riot were already in Camp Crame.
"Mas safe sila dun dahil wala na dun yung apat," he said.
Sebastian, through his lawyer Eduardo Arriba, disclosed in earlier media interviews that he is the target of the alleged NBP riot. He also said that his life is in danger after his name was tagged in the anomalies inside the penitentiary.
The alleged drug lord and convicted carnapper was accused of being then-Justice Secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima's conduit.
Inmates who testified in the congressional inquiry on Bilibid drug trade two weeks ago claimed that de Lima benefitted from the narco money raised by Sebastian and other drug lords in the NBP during her tenure at the Justice department. (Sunnex)
