CLEANING UP BILIBID MESS. NCRPO chief, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar (left) says 551 police officers from Metro Manila were deployed to help in maintaining peace and order at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), after his meeting with Bureau of Corrections Director-General Gerald Bantag (center) on Friday (Oct. 4, 2019). Eleazar said measures are already in place to ensure that NCRPO personnel will not be corrupted inside the NBP, including intensified intelligence and monitoring. (Photo courtesy of NCRPO PIO)
MANILA -- The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) has deployed a total of 551 personnel to assist the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) in maintaining peace and order at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO director, said the temporary augmentation was in response to the request of newly-appointed BuCor Director-General Gerald Bantag for additional manpower as he starts implementing drastic reforms at the NBP.
"Director-General Bantag has asked for assistance because he is looking for personnel he could trust. That is why we decided to extend help by providing him with the initial manpower he wants to secure the NBP since the location of the NBP is within the jurisdiction of NCRPO," Eleazar said after his meeting with Bantag on Friday.
Eleazar said the group, which includes 548 Police Non-Commissioned Officers and three Police Commissioned Officers all with a rank of Captain, were sent to BuCor upon the clearance given by PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, and Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano.
During their meeting, Bantag briefed Eleazar on the security plans he crafted to ensure peace and order at the NBP and get rid of the modus operandi of convicted felons, particularly those engaged in illegal drug activities.
Eleazar said he also discussed with Bantag several measures to intensify intelligence-sharing to thwart any attempt of any convicted drug lords to communicate with their tentacles outside the NBP for the continuation of their drug operations.
Meanwhile, Eleazar reminded the NCRPO personnel not to give in to bribes being offered by any convicts.
"Huwag ninyong sisirain ang mataas na tiwala sa atin ng pinuno ng Bureau of Corrections. Narito tayo upang tulungan siyang maipatupad ang utos ng ating Commander-In-Chief, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, na linisin ang katiwalian at operasyon ng droga dito sa Bilibid (Do not destroy the high trust given to use by the head of Bureau of Corrections. We are here to help him enforce the order of our Commander-In-Chief, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, to wipe out corruption and illegal drug activities here at Bilibid," Eleazar told his men.
"Ang pagsasaayos ng pamamalakad sa (The restoration of order at the) New Bilibid Prisons would be your greatest contribution to the BuCor, to the PNP, and to the Philippine government. Take this as your chance to prove your worth as police officers, to show the public how disciplined and determined NCRPO personnel are," he added.
Eleazar said they have implemented measures to ensure that NCRPO personnel will not be corrupted inside the NBP, including intensified intelligence and monitoring.
"Lagi ninyong tatandaan, kakampi ninyo ako, kakampi ninyo si DG Bantag, kakampi ninyo ang Pangulo, kalampi ninyo ang sambayanang Pilipino upang linisin ang Bilibid kung gagawin ninyo ang inyong trabaho nang tapat (Always remember, I, DG Bantag, the President and the people, we are one with you in cleaning up Bilibid. That is if you will truthfully do your jobs)," he added.
Bantag was ordered to eradicate irregularities at the NBP.
Bantag, former warden of the Parañaque and Manila City jails, replaced Nicanor Faeldon who was dismissed by the President for disobeying his order to stop the release of almost 2,000 heinous crime convicts under the controversial Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law.
Prior to his appointment, Bantag served as head of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan). (PNA)
