‘BRING US BACK TO BILIBID’

CONVICTED drug lords and murderers who were relocated to a high-security prison facility in Mindoro are reportedly organizing a protest rally in an effort to be returned to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.

Bureau of Corrections chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. revealed that since the drug lords are encountering significant challenges at the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro, the high-profile inmates are allegedly planning a protest rally.

He said the inmates are also collecting signatures from fellow Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) to petition their transfer back to Manila.

According to Catapang, these inmates are facing difficulties continuing their illegal drugs operation and other illicit activities away from Bilibid, where they had become accustomed to their operations.

“Some of them are struggling to conduct their transactions. They resort to writing down their dealings on paper, then discreetly passing these notes to erring guards to capture images, thus facilitating the transactions,” he said. 

Catapang has issued a warning to Corrections officers to remain vigilant and prepare for potential protests and mass actions.

Some 500 convicted drug lords were earlier relocated to a “supermax” correctional facility in Mindoro, while an additional 500 high-profile inmates, including murderers, were transferred to the Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan. 

The BuCor chief explained that the transfer aims to alleviate congestion at the NBP and to segregate troublesome and unruly inmates from the general prisoner population.

The official described the SPPF as a “supermax” facility, and underscored its suitability for housing inmates like drug lords and those with challenging behaviors. 

Catapang bared that the secluded location of the Mindoro facility, situated in a mountainous region devoid of cellular coverage, would impede the operation of illegal drug trade both inside and outside the prison. 

He reiterated that the absence of cell sites in the mountainous terrain, coupled with individualized cells for inmates, would thwart any attempts to establish unauthorized communication channels.