MANILA – Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Vitaliano N. Aguirre II on Wednesday divulged that drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City has offered a PHP50-million bounty for his head after he refused to accept bribes from drug lords detained at the national penitentiary.
The NBP is under the control and supervision of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), an attached agency of the DOJ.
During Wednesday’s take-over of 320 Special Action Force (SAF) at the NBP, Aguirre disclosed that he had received information that drug lords tried to pool their resources to offer him a PHP100-million bribe.
“Big drug lords have already wanted to pool their resources so they can offer me PHP100 million but they could not offer me because I can’t be corrupted and so they hired somebody to kill me for PHP50 million,” Aguirre told members of the media.
The DOJ Secretary said that he revealed the threat for the drug lords not to continue with their plan.
“That is why I revealed this to you, so that if they have plans (of having me killed) then maybe they won’t push through,” Aguirre said.
The 320 SAF troopers replaced the prison guards at the NBP who are set to undergo retraining.
This was after the pronouncements of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte that illegal drugs are being manufactured and drug trade starts at the NBP.
With the President’s pronouncements, Aguirre, on his first day in office last July 1 vowed to replace officers inside the NBP and crackdown on perpetrators of the widespread selling of illegal drugs in the country.
Aguirre also promised to put up PHP10-million worth of signal jammers that would stop illegal transactions of drug lords inside the national penitentiary.
According to the DOJ Secretary, the take-over could take two months as they will need to take and reeducate almost all the employees inside the NBP.
“It could take months, actually, because we are going to take out every guard and almost all employees except those that are indispensable in the running day-to-day activities of the BuCor and all of them will undergo training, more than 200 of them and re-education,” Aguirre said.
This, Aguirre said, would solve the issues inside the BuCor which he described as the “most corrupt organization in the bureaucracy.”
“Every aspect of life inside the bureau is turned into a money-making venture, even the sale of cigarettes. One stick of cigarette will cost you PHP150. I could not believe the corruption,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre added that even the budget for food which is PHP50 per inmate has been reduced to PHP40 as the PHP10 goes to the pockets of the officers.
According to Aguirre, appointed acting BuCor Chief Director General Rolly Asuncion will be replaced by Marine Maj. Gen. Alexander Balutan when he officially retires from his post on August 1.
Balutan, when he assumes position, promised to replace and reshuffle the prison superintendent at the NBP.
Balutan is also planning to assign Philippine Marines to inspect individuals that will visit detainees at the NBP.