NCRPO relieves 16 cops in NBP smuggling mess
MANILA -- The 16 police officers allegedly involved in smuggling of contraband at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) were relieved from their posts, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said on Thursday.
“I ordered the immediate relief of these 16 police officers reportedly trafficking contraband in the New Bilibid Prison to pave the way for a fair and formal fact-finding investigation. The NCRPO’s Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division (RIDMD) is the one probing this incident and is expected to issue final evaluation of the case on Friday,” NCRPO acting chief, Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas said in a statement.
Sinas added that the police officers were directed to submit their respective counter-affidavits to shed light on the issue at hand.
They were temporarily reassigned at the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Section and disarmed of their service firearms.
Sinas clarified that 16 cops are not among the 551 NCRPO personnel who were initially deployed to secure the critical areas of NBP.
“Instead, they are part of the teams augmented for demolition of shanties and other illegal structures and confiscation of contrabands inside the MaximumSecurity Compound,” Sinas said.
Following the incident,
Sinas said the composite teams initially fielded will be replaced by personnel from the mobile reaction unit of NCRPO – the Regional Mobile Force Battalion.
Sinas said based on the investigation by their Regional Investigation and Intelligence Division, the cellphones, tobacco products, and alcoholic drinks were not actually seized but were surrendered to the regular NBP guards.
Sinas, in a press conference, said he personally talked to 14 of the 16 cops to get firsthand information on what really transpired since the cops were already bashed.
“I would like to correct that the 16 [were] not actually caught bringing inside the NBP. According to our inquiry, nakuha ‘yung cellphone, ‘yung dalawang sticks ng sigarilyo at saka ‘yung isang alak doon sa labas (the cellphone, two cigarette sticks and the liquor were confiscated outside),” Sinas said.
Sinas said he had only talked to 14 of the 16 cops since the two were still noshow before the NCRPO.
He said the two cops have until Thursday to appear before authorities, otherwise, they will be placed on Absent Without Official Leave.
He said the 14 cellphones were turned over to the Anti-Cyber Group for forensics analysis to determine if the cops have made communications to the NBP prisoners.
“We will keep a keen eye on our men assigned at the state penitentiary to avoid corruption and spurn possible bribes from inmates inside the country’s main insular penitentiary. Our authority can never be and should never be an instrument of any form of abuse. If proven with guilt, they will have to face appropriate administrative cases for we will never tolerate delinquency and misconduct,” Sinas said.
Sinas, meanwhile, suggested the replacement of NCRPO personnel fielded at the NBP every two months to prevent familiarization and eventual corruption by inmates.
“I suggested to the BuCor (Bureau of Corrections) based on experience in Region 7, I requested for a maximum of one to two months because if that exceeded, it might lead to establishment of friendship,” Sinas, former director of the Police Regional Office 7 (Central Visayas), said in a press briefing at the Kamuning Police Station in Quezon City.
Sinas was referring to the one-month replacement of personnel policy which he implemented to secure the premises of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.
“I told him (Bucor Director General Gerald Bantag), if it is okay with you, we are okay with it. It is okay for us even if it is difficult as long as our men won’t find friends inside the prison because if they get familiar with each other, I’m sure it won’t be impossible for them to have acquaintances whom they will later protect,” he said in Filipino.
Sinas also reported that after the 15-day demolition, cash worth PHP233,207 was recovered and 185 illegal structures were destroyed inside the maximum-security compound of the NBP.
He said 58 huts were destroyed in quadrant 1 of the maximum-security compound, 32 in quadrant 2, 36 in quadrant 3, and 39 in quadrant 4.
He said 19 stalls and a makeshift office built at the sides were also destroyed.
“Malinis na po doon sa magkabilang side ng high value inmates doon sa maximum security building [Both sides of the maximum-security area where high value inmates are located were cleared],” Sinas said.
Reportedly, one of the demolished structures was a para-legal office in the NBP premises.
Other recovered items
in the shanties were 60 rolls of tobacco, 35 deadly weapons, 13 wristwatches, four pocket Wi-Fis, three flash drives, three headsets, and two phone chargers.
Sinas said the confiscated gadgets would be submitted to the PNP-ACG
for forensics to identify the files they contain.
Bantag reported that many “poor” inmates were happy with the demolition, Sinas said.
“Natutuwa yung mahihirap na inmates kasi sabi based sa BuCor chief
at least pantay-pantay na sila sa loob ng Bilibid [The poor inmates are happy based from what the BuCor chief said because at least, they all have the same conditions inside the Bilibid],” Sinas said. (PNA)