Bato dela Rosa eyes segregating Chinese, Filipino drug lords in Bilibid

MANILA, Philippines — To cut the supply of and demand for illegal drugs like shabu or crystal meth in the country, Chinese and Filipino drug lords incarcerated in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) need to be segregated, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said yesterday.

In a television interview, Dela Rosa said cutting off contact between the Chinese and Filipino drug lords means that “even if the Chinese keep on ordering drugs from China and delivering them here, no one would cater for the demand side, which is the Filipino drug lords, because they have no contact with the suppliers.”

He wants to build another building in the NBP to ensure that the two groups are separated.

However, Dela Rosa also admitted that segregation could not eliminate the illegal drug trade from inside the NBP since inmates still have access to mobile phones despite repeated searches of their cells.

He said signal jammers only jam the signals of cell phones held by corrections officers and police commandos guarding the prison but “the signal is strong in Building 14,” referring to the structure where the drug lords are detained.

Another problem is that an access road behind the maximum security compound allows the convicts’ accomplices to throw cell phones into the prison, Dela Rosa said, describing the practice as “rain from the sky.”

Asked if the only way to stop the illegal drug trade in the NBP is to kill the drug lords, Dela Rosa replied, “Puwede ba (Is it allowed)?”

Dela Rosa previously told BuCor personnel that they should be ready to shoot drug lords and other convicts.