JUSTICE Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Wednesday ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the reported resurgence of the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntilupa City. He ordered ordered NBI Director Dante Gierran to investigate in an order dated July 4, and if the evidence warranted the NBI should file administrative and criminal charges against those involved.
“We wanted to get to the bottom of the reported resurgence of the drug trade in the NBP,” Aguirre said in a statement.
“We acted after verifying raw information provided by concerned individuals. I have said it before and I will say it again: We shall be relentless in fighting and eradicating the drug menace.”
Aguirre made his statement even as PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa on Wednesday ordered a full investigation into the alleged involvement of Special Action Force troops in the resurgence of transactions in illegal drugs at the NBP.
He vowed to pull out the elite troops and reassign them to Marawi City where he said their skills were badly needed.
Aguirre said he would also order an investigation of some members of the Special Action Force who might be involved in the anomaly at the NBP.
“I have received reports that there were some reactivation, and we are doing something about this,” Aguirre said in an earlier interview.
“We are going to end this resurgence. I talked to Director General Benjamin delos Santos last Saturday and we know what we are going to do.”
Aguirre said some members of the elite force may have been involved due to their familiarity with the inmates. He said the changing of the guard at the NBP was expected at the end of July.
He said he already talked to SAF Director Benjamin Lusad to change the SAF contingent at the NBP following information that the illegal drug trade there was surging again.
More than 300 SAF personnel who were deployed to the NBP Bilibid last year were supposed to stay only for three to six months and then the Marines would replace them. With Francisco Tuyay