LIVE: House probe into Bilibid prison drug trade

MANILA, Philippines – The members of the House Representatives on Tuesday will open the investigation into the illegal drug trade inside the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

The House Committee on Justice will lead the inquiry which will also probe former Justice secretary and Commission on Human Rights chairperson Leila De Lima’s involvement in the illegal market. Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali heads the House Committee on Justice.

Over the weekend, high-profile drug and robbery convict Herbert Colangco claimed that a coalition of gangs of inmates from the Visayas and Mindanao which he leads gave De Lima P3 million per month to fund her campaign.

Resource persons to participate in the inquiry include Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, chief public attorney Persida Rueda-Acosta, Philippine National Police Director General Ronald Dela Rosa, Bureau of Corrections officer-in-charge Rolando Asuncion, and National Bureau of Investigation Director Dante Gierran, among others.

Watch the hearing LIVE starting 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept 20, 2016: