MANILA - Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa has ordered the transfer of drug lords in penal colonies nationwide to Building 14 of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.

Dela Rosa said he discovered that convicted drug lords placed in penal colonies continued drug transactions even while in prison.

“Mga guwardiya doon, hindi masyadong istrikto. Hindi kagaya rito na may SAF na magbabantay. Sa Building 14, hirap sila,” he said.

Two of those who were transferred from Iwahig Penal Colony to NBP are Ricardo Camata and Marco Alejandro.

Dela Rosa said drug lords Rameses de Jesus from the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Occidental Mindoro and Wan Yi Yang from the San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm in Zamboanga City were also transferred to the NBP.

Camata is a convicted drug lord who became controversial in 2014 when starlet Krista Miller visited him in a hospital where he was confined.

Miller herself has been acquitted in a separate drug-related case.

Dela Rosa said Camata alleged continued his illegal drug activities inside Iwahig.

“Malakas ang balita na nagne-negosyo pa rin siya doon ng shabu. Nasa Building 14 lahat yung personality na malakas doon sa Iwahig,” he said.

Alejandro is also a drug convict.



Dela Rosa said a PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group case last June is proof that there is connivance going on between NBP employees and inmates, where the kidnapping mastermind Tyrone dela Cruz was monitored negotiating the payoff from inside the Maximum Security Compound in Bilibid.

Dela Cruz is serving time for a previous kidnapping case. He said a BuCor officer with a rank of inspector helped him bring a cellphone inside in exchange for P6,000.

Dela Rosa said even from outside the compound, no one will be allowed to bring any gadget, wifi, or any other means of communication.

“Pagdating sa opisina, papasok sila sa maximum security compound or medium security compound, iiwan nila sa guwardiya. Kakapkapan kapag papasok ka doon. Sa admin offices meron,” he said.

“Basta may signal, may transaksiyon yan,” he added.

When Dela Rosa was asked if it was dangerous to put all high-profile inmates in one area, he said it is more important that they are heavily guarded.

“Mas importante gwardiyado sila at di sila maka-diskarte,” he said.