BUREAU of Corrections Director Benjamin delos Santos resigned Thursday following the resurgence of illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Delos Santos said the resumption of the illegal drug trade in the national penitentiary had made him “irrelevant.”
In a text message, he said: “The issue about the resurgence of drug trade has made me irrelevant. My irrevocable resignation effective immediately was filed thru Secretary of Justice Vitaliano Aguirre II. I will refrain from further comments and take the vow of silence.”
Delos Santos was appointed to the top BuCor post only last December.
He was a graduate of the Benedictine-run San Beda College of Law in Mendiola, Manila and a fraternity brother of Aguirre and President Rodrigo Duterte at the Lex Talionis Fraternity.
Prior to his appointment to the BuCor, Delos Santos served with the PNP-CIDG where he earned his star rank.
Aguirre earlier disclosed illegal drugs-related activities had again resumed inside the national penitentiary though he clarified that it was not on the same level as the previous leadership.
Duterte last year said 75 percent of all illegal drugs in the country came from drugs syndicate operating at the NBP.
The resumption took place despite the tight security measures being imposed by the authorities at the NBP, particularly at the maximum security compound where a contingent of elite police Special Action Force commandos are deployed to guard high-profile detainees, including convicted drug lords.
However, Aguirre said most of the drug transactions took place at the NBP’s medium security compound.