BuCor chief quits over resurgence of Bilibid drug trade

MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Bureau of Corrections has resigned over the resurgence of the drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison despite more stringent security in the penitentiary.

 

"Issue about resurgence of drug trade has made me irrelevant," Benjamin Delos Santos, a former police officer, told reporters.

 

He said he had submitted his irrevocable resignation to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, who was the first to admit that drugs were back.

 

"I will refrain from further comments and take the vow of silence," he also said.

 

On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned the resurgence of the drug trade in a speech at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology's anniversary. The BJMP handles the country's jails, which are intended for those whose cases are still pending in court. The BuCor runs the countries penitentiaries, which are for those already convicted of crimes.

 

“Diyan sa Bilibid, miski anong gawin natin, pasok pa rin ng pasok ang mga... and because ang droga, bumalik na naman. Allegedly around 400 kilos were the reason for the shootout where somebody died there sa Muntinlupa because of this,” Duterte said.

 

He added the drug trade had also reached the Davao Penal Colony. 

 

The drug trade in Bilibid was a talking point for Duterte during the 2016 election campaign. He accused the Aquino administration of doing nothing to curb the drug trade in the national penitentiary, which he said is the center of the drug trade in the country. 

 

Sen. Leila de Lima, a Duterte critic and former Justice secretary, is in jail for allegedly receiving money from drug convicts in Bilibid to fund her senatorial campaign. She has denied the allegations as a demolition job against her for opposing the president's policies, particularly his war on drugs.

 

Elite police Special Action Force troopers had been deployed to Bilibid to guard against the return of illegal drugs.