The escape of former Batangas Gov. Antonio Leviste from the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa is just another proof of the age-old, open secret that prisoners can get out of the facility even without authorization.
What’s MORE ALARMING is almost a year into office, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima has apparently not even bothered to look into the anomaly.
News reports quote De Lima as admitting that “We’ve been hearing rumors that things like this are happening there. It’s sort of an open secret.”
The million-dollar question, therefore, is WHY HAD SHE NOT ACTED on it? Why only now, when a controversial and wealthy prisoner like Leviste is the escapee?
De Lima can’t say that she doesn’t have the resources.
She has ALL THE PERSONNEL AND RESOURCES of the Department of Justice, and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), at her disposal.
She has the power to conduct an investigation, being Justice Secretary. But SHE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING.
If one is to follow her line of thinking, she still would not have done anything had Leviste, or any other rich and purportedly influential prisoner, escaped or ‘left’ the prison unnoticed.
And Heaven forbid, and President Aquino had better FIRE HER IMMEDIATELY, if De Lima will say that escape or unauthorized exit of prisoners from the Bilibid is not a major problem.
Since time immemorial, we have been reading and hearing of news reports of Bilibid inmates committing crimes, or being spotted in public areas, while they’re supposed to be locked up.
So from the time De Lima says she had heard of the anomaly and did nothing, what is our assurance that no prisoner had pulled off the same stunt as Leviste?
What criminal acts could have been staged by them? Who should be blamed? More importantly, what is our assurance that WE DON’T HAVE PRISON ESCAPPES in our midst?
They must also DEMAND AN EXPLANATION from De Lima.
Lozada has to work his butt off to prove his sincerity. With all those indiscretions under his watch, it is so hard to believe that he means well. His credibility is at the very stake here. It makes me think sometimes that he must be doing this kasi nga, dahil sa isang shady deal gone awry!
PEDRO PALABOY
Mukha pong nawawala na credibility ni Lozada. Subalit dapat pa rin nating pagtuunan ng pansin kung tutoo ang sinasabi niya. Kung nagnakaw ang tinuturo niya, then he/she should be punished at kung yung nagturo ay loko rin pala, dapat din po siyang managot.
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De Lima have a lot of explaining to do. She need to be fired from her job..Give that job to more qualified one..and with integrity!
ReplyDeleteIn a perfect world you are right the blame should reach up to the Secretary of Justice for not knowing whats going on down in the Bureau of Prison. In the US and other advance democratic countries that will happen. But in a third world struggling democracies like our country we should just be contented with the firing of those directly involve up to the head of the Bureau of Prisons for knowing and not doing anything about the escapes which is surely just the tip of the iceberg. I personally want the Secretary be fired but at the same time checking reality firing the prison head then criminally charge him will be a great victory for justice in our country if it happens.
ReplyDeleteIn the country where we are, if something goes wrong in the prison, police department, immigration department etc... they would investigate first, then charge or fire those people directly involve. They don't dismiss the Department of Justice chief.
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