BuCor inmates survive on 139 daily meal budget; 5,000 prisoners die yearly

The Senate has uncovered that the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) allocates a measly 139 daily meal budget for at least 3,233 inmates, while at least 5,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City die every year.

At the continuation of the Senate hearing on the corruption issues at the BuCor, Director for Health Services Ernesto Tamayo told the Senate Committee on Justice that 20 percent of the total population of the NBP die annually due to various illnesses.

In the same hearing, Angelina Bautista, a caterer for the Correcional Institution of Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City, said she was chosen by the BuCor to provide food for the 3,233 PDLs worth 139 each every day.

“[For] the whole day: Breakfast, lunch, and din

ner,” Bautista said when asked by Sen. Richard Gordon, committee chairman, to clarify the amount.

With the measly meal budget, NBP inmate Godfrey Gamboa lamented that the food served to them were bland.

“Your honor, so totoo lang po na sabaw lang, walang laman po talaga, at walang lasa. Kaya namamatay po yong mga preso dahil walang bitamina 'yong kinakain (in all honesty, we are only eating soup, there was no meat, and really bland. That is why prisoners end up dying because we don't get the nutrition we need)," Gamboa, who testified in the GCTA-for-sale scheme at the BuCor, said when asked by Lacson how they were fed with a 139 food budget per day.

Bautista said her catering business V&J Trading was awarded with a 121million contract, from July to December in 2018.

Their services were later extended due to the BuCor's failure of public bidding, she said.

The extension, she said, was also not beneficial to them because they cannot raise their costs despite the inflation.

Bautista also told the senators that the BuCor has yet to pay for their services this year, with officials citing the “reenactment of the budget” this year.

The Commission on Audit (COA) had earlier flagged the BuCor for tapping the services of the V&J and another caterer for the NBP despite failing to comply with food safety requirements and extending their contracts without the approval of the Department of Justice.

COA director Irma Besas told senators that the V&J also lacked documentary requirements, failing to show their list of raw materials to “satisfy if 139 is really worth a meal.”

160 per day allocation

Senator Panfilo Lacson questioned the 139-per-prisoner-day budget for the meals of the CIW inmates, saying that Congress had allotted a daily subsistence allowance of 160 per person deprived of liberty (PDL) under the 2018 General Appropriations Act.

"Bakit papakainin mo preso 139 a day na meals, bayad na binibigay ng gobyerno ay 160, at least noong 2018, increased to 170 in 2019? Di ko mareconcile bigay niyo sa preso 139 a day worth of meals (Why would you feed the prisoners with 139-a-day worth of meals when the government is giving 160, at least in 2018, and increased to 170 in 2019? I cannot reconcile how you were able to give prisoners 139-a-day worth of meals),” Lacson said, asking where the 121 balance went.

Bautista said they were forced to trim down their prices so that they could win the bidding as the lowest bidder.

BuCor deputy director-general Melvin Buenafe Ceo IV said their “policy” is to return the remaining amount to the inmates in the form of food, or reallocate this to fund for prisoner's activities inside the state penitentiary.

But Besas said the remaining amount was reverted to the National Treasury in 2018.

Former BuCor acting chief Rafael Ragos had earlier bared that BuCor officials receive 11 million monthly from NBP caterers, 1800,000 of which go to the highest corrupt officer. But he clarified that he did not receive such an amount during his term.

Aside from the low sustenance budget for prisoners, Bautista also revealed being required by BuCor legal division chief Fredric Anthony Santos to pay 150,000 to notarize documents.

She said she later asked Santos to reduced the amount to 130,000, which the latter agreed with.

Santos, who was also implicated in the GCTA-for-sale scheme, confirmed this but said the he usually does not charge payment for his legal services. It was the caterers, he said, that offered the amount.

Bautista complained of conflict of interest on Santos' part, telling senators that the BuCor lawyer was part of the Bids and Award Committee.

Quizzed by Senate Minority Leader Drilon, Santos said he offered his services to the caterers “for their convenience.”

Santos said the BuCor has awarded 11 billion worth of contracts to food caterers in the NBP. ‘Hospital staycation scam’

At the same Senate hearing, opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros took to task officials from the BuCor and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for an alleged “hospital staycation scam” where convicted drug lords would be given hospital passes so they can stay at certain private hospitals for extended periods despite not being ill.

Quoting a Senate executive session report made public, Hontiveros said that for a sum of money, Bilibid hospital doctor Ursicio Cenas allegedly would give inmates hospital passes that granted extended stay.

Reports even surfaced that inmates had personal cooks and watchmen, even nurses, whom some kept as paramours.

"Itong hospital staycation scam na ito ay isang malaking kahihiyan, kalokohan at pambabastos sa ating correctional system. The justice system has enough problems, and this drags our system down even further (This staycation scam is a shame, stupid and slap on our correctional system),” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros called for the cancellation of Cenas’ medical license due to alleged unprofessional, unethical conduct of allowing extended hospital stay for drug lords. (With a report from Mario B. Casayuran)