(Eagle News) — A former police chief inspector who has been imprisoned at the New Bilibid Prisons since 2004, revealed that the drug trade at the NBP became rampant starting 2012 when Leila de Lima was already the Justice Secretary.
At the start of the hearing of the House of Representatives on the illegal drug operations at the national penitentiary, former Chief Inspector Rodolfo Magleo, said that there had been a P50,000 quota a week that the inmates had to meet for De Lima’s driver Ronnie Dayan.
Magleo was the first witness presented by the Department of Justice.
Magleo also revealed the workings inside the NBP, and the connection of an inmate, JB Sebastian, who allegedly wielded enough influence to remove certain powerful personalities at the NBP who were allegedly his enemies.
He cited the so-called Bilibid 19 composed of foreign nationals and other Filipino drug lords who were allegedly his competitors in the drug trade.
Magleo claimed to be a confidante of Sebastian.
Sebastian allegedly paid P10 million to De Lima so that the Bilibid 19 could be removed from the NBP.
He said deals on illegal drugs were being done from the inside the NBP, and that there were agents outside the NBP doing the work for the drug lords inside.
— De Lima to allegedly finance Dayan’s mayoralty bid —
During the hearing, Magleo also recalled his conversation with De Lima’s personal driver and alleged lover, Ronnie Dayan, where the latter revealed his plans to run as mayor of Urbiztondo, Pangasinan.
“Si Ma’am ang gagastos sa akin,” Magleo quoted Dayan as saying, referring to De Lima.
Asked if he sensed something unusual between Dayan and De Lima, Magleo said: “I could read between the lines. I could sense there was something intimate your honor.”
— NBP as “Little Las Vegas”–
Magleo also described the NBP’s maximum security compound as a “little Las Vegas” when De Lima was still the Department of Justice secretary.
There were many big-time concerts inside by artists like Freddie Aguilar, Sharon Cuneta, Ethel Booba, and other comedians and celebrities.
He also claimed that P1 million was being paid by NBP inmate Herbert Colangco to De Lima for every concert inside the NBP compound. This was aside from the P2 million to P3 million being given by Colangco to the alleged bagman of the DOJ chief as payola.
Magleo, Colangco and the other four witnesses presented at the Congressional hearing Tuesday were granted immunity.
