Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday said the inmate who stabbed high-profile convict Jaybee Sebastian during a riot inside the New Bilibid Prison last week has been transferred to the Philippine National Police headquarters in Quezon City.
Aguirre revealed that Tomas Donina, whom Sebastian identified as the one who stabbed him in the chest, back and arm during the fracas at the highly-secured Building 14 of the NBP maximum security compound, was brought last Sunday to the custody of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
Meanwhile, Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday said law enforcement agencies are still validating the information on the third ‘narco-list’ to be released soon by President Rodrigo Duterte.
Dela Rosa confirmed the transfer of Donina and three other inmates.
The four inmates—Ruben Tiu, Clarence Dongail, Edgar Cinco and Tomas Donina—were transferred on Sunday to the PNP custodial center.
“I allowed CIDG to bring them there as part of the investigation, so they could easily be accessed by the investigators. This is also precautionary measure because the situation there [in NBP] is still tense,” Aguirre said in a text message.
Dela Rosa said the transfer was requested by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group which is investigating the riot in the NBP on Wednesday that left convicted drug lord Tony Co dead and four other high-profile inmates injured, including Jaybee Sebastian, Peter Co and Vicente Sy.
Sebastian was wounded after he was stabbed at the back and chest during last week’s riot while Dongail also sustained minor wounds but opted not to seek hospitalization. The three are still recuperating at the Medical Center Muntinlupa for the injuries sustained in the incident.
Dela Rosa said CIDG Director Chief Supt. Roel Obusan would request permission to get the statements of the inmates involved in the riot.
The Custodial Center has been home to arrested terrorists, top communist rebels, policemen and soldiers facing charges and even big-time drug lords.
Dela Rosa said the temporary detention of the four inmates at the custodial center was part of the ongoing probe into the Bilibid riot.
In fact, he said, the transfer could even diffuse the tension at the NBP following the alleged riot that targeted high-profile inmates, some of them leaders of groups inside the Bilibid.
“If this is designed to avoid further agitation of the convicts inside the Bilibid, that is fine with me,” said Dela Rosa.
Obusan earlier said they will question the suspects in the stabbing incident since they have interviewed the victims and witnesses.
Investigators are looking at two versions of the incident at the NBP, based on the testimonies of the involved inmates.
Dongail and Cinco both claimed that the scuffle started after drug lords Tony Co, Peter Co and Vicente Sy were caught sniffing shabu inside their cell. Tony Co was killed while the other two sustained serious injuries from the incident.
But Sebastian said he was just watching TV at the mess hall when Donina suddenly attacked him without provocation.
Sebastian also has formally requested with the Bureau of Corrections for his return to the regular facility in maximum-security compound from Building 14 following the incident.
BuCor officer-in-charge Rolando Asuncion said he has already received the letter-request from Sebastian, who is still recovering from the Muntinlupa Medical Center. “We are studying if the transfer will be good for him.”
Asuncion added that a facility near Building 14 covered by newly installed signal jammers is being considered for Sebastian’s transfer.
For his part, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said the four inmates will be moved back to the national penitentiary after questioning. them regarding the incident that resulted to the death of inmate.
“They will stay there up to Monday or Tuesday,” Aguirre said.
Aguirre reiterated his belief that the stabbing incident could be related to the ongoing probe on the NBP drug trade after Sebastian agreed to spill the beans on the controversy.
After President Duterte rejected the offer of Sebastian for a meeting, Aguirre said he is willing to instead meet the leaders of Presidio Side of inmates in the maximum-security compound of NBP.
However, Aguirre insisted that Sebastian should “tell everything he knows, without selection of details.”
Dela Rosa said the President wants the narco-list thoroughly checked to establish the links between government officials and other personalities and the illegal drug trade.
He noted that the National Bureau Investigation, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and PNP are finalizing the ‘narco-list’ before presenting it to the President.
“There are cases when the information of one agency is in conflict with that of another. In these cases, validation is necessary,” he told a press conference in Camp Crame.
The PNP chief also stressed that transactions between law enforcement agencies are transparent.
“We have to be one in this fight. Otherwise, our efforts will be scattered. The President is the one spearheading the anti-drug war. We, along with all government agencies are rallying behind him in this fight,” he stressed.
Earlier, President Duterte apologized to Pangasinan Rep. Amado Espino, provincial board member Raul Sison and former provincial administrator Raffy Baraan for incorrectly linking them to the drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison.
