Eight convicted drug lords detained at the compound of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Camp Aguinaldo have proposed a formula to solve the country’s drug problem.
The formula was presented to newly-designated Bureau of Corrections chief Ronald dela Rosa who visited them at their tightly-guarded cells in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday morning.
But Dela Rosa refused to share what the supposed blueprint the inmates had suggested to him to help stamp out the illegal drugs trade, although he viewed it as “viable.”
“In fairness to them, they had many suggestions and recommendations on how to stop the illegal drug trade inside the Bilibid Prison,” Dela Rosa said.
When pressed to cite some of the mechanics of the solution the drug convicts had suggested, Dela Rosa declined but said that there are three basic elements of identifying the mechanism on who, what and where.
“It’s confidential, between us na lang yun, alam nila kung sino dapat, ano dapat, at saan dapat. Basta yun ang mga suggestions nila, mukhang maganda, gagawin ko yun,” he said.
Dela Rosa considered the act as a way to reform themselves from being drug lords to seriously wanting to stop the drug problem.
Dela Rosa made a surprise visit at the drug lords’ cells in Camp Aguinaldo to personally assess the inmates present situation outside of the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
The eight inmates were Herbert Colangco, Robert Durano, Hernan Agojo, Rodolfo Magleyo, Gerry Pepino, Noel Matinez, Jaime Patio and Thomas Dulina, who all turned state witness against former and detained Department of Justice secretary Liela De Lima.
In his talks with the inmates, Dela Rosa, however, warned them not to venture anew in the illegal drug trade as they would become “dying witnesses.”
“Sabi ko kahit na kayo’y mga state witness, puede kayong magiging dying witness kung kayo’y magpapatuloy sa kalakalan ng droga,” he said.
Dela Rosa also said that some of the inmates wanted to be retransferred to the NBP because they have their own doctors, dentists there while others refused to go back for fear of retaliation from their former cellmates.
Dela Rosa said the inmates are being guarded by 31 Bucor personnel, 17 Special Action Force (SAF) operatives and a number of military men totaling to about 60 people.
