House report on Bilibid drug trade out next week

MANILA, Philippines - The House committee on justice will come out with its report on its inquiry into the illegal drug trade at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) on Monday.

“Our report is still being finalized. The committee will meet on Monday to approve it,” Mindoro Oriental Rep. Rey Umali, committee chairman, said yesterday.

He said the report would contain recommendations on how to stop the trade in illegal drugs inside and outside Bilibid.

Earlier, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said the inquiry was in aid of legislation and was not intended to prosecute anyone.

Though the investigation was supposed to dig into drug-related activities in Bilibid, it unavoidably focused on the alleged drug links of former justice secretary and now Sen. Leila de Lima.

De Lima denies allegations she received drug money and protected drug dealers.

Ahead of the release of the committee report, Reps. Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, Winston Castelo of Quezon City and deputy speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu urged the public to support the efforts of Congress and the administration to combat the proliferation of illegal drugs.        

“Congress should put an end to the level of corruption that has attended the drug menace which can best be gleaned from the special privileges that drug lords have been enjoying at the NBP’s maximum security cells, resulting from payoffs to corrupt government and prison officials,” Villafuerte said.

“This House inquiry should lead to a broad range of new legislation plus other initiatives, including the establishment of a more secure NBP outside Metro Manila, the complete halt to special privileges now enjoyed by drug lords and other supposedly maximum-security prisoners, and the creation of a lot more drug rehabilitation centers nationwide to prevent drug abusers from ending up as hardened criminals in jail,” he said.

Castelo said lawmakers should remain steadfast in helping the administration fight the drug problem.