MANILA, Philippines — “There is some sort of resurgence of (the) drug trade” in the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II has admitted.

Aguirre said “new leaders” had stepped in and resumed the illegal activity the Justice chief said the government had succeeded in stemming for the past year.

“I received some reports that there is some sort of resurgence of drug trade in the New Bilibid, so ang usapan namin sana diyan (what we have discussed) is that to avoid familiarity, every three to six months or so dapat magpapalit kami ng guard d’yan (we should rotate the guards there).”

Last year, the administration deployed units from the Special Action Force to help guard the penitentiary in efforts to end the drug trade that it accused Senator Leila de Lima of not only tolerating but of benefiting from.

The Department of Justice has since filed drug trading charges against De Lima, who is detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

Aguirre said he is eyeing the possible use of the Philippine Marines at the NBP but they are currently tied up with the Marawi crisis.

A new SAF contingent will likely be utilized in the meantime.

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