DOJ forms panel to probe Bilibid deaths
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Wednesday the creation of a panel of prosecutors to conduct a preliminary investigation into the questionable deaths of eight high-profile inmates serving time mostly for drug trafficking at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
This was confirmed by Prosecutor General Benedicto Malcontento, but he refused to divulge the names of the prosecutors for security reasons.
The preliminary investigation will begin soon, he said in a message.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) recently filed murder charges against 22 police officers of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) implicated in the deaths.
The inmates died under “suspicious” circumstances while detained at the NBP maximum security compound, the control of which was under the members of the NCRPO security and medical teams.
They were identified as Francis Go, Shuli Lim Zhang, Jimmy Ang, Eugene Chua, Benjamin Marcelo, Sherwin Sanchez, Amin Boratong, and Willy Yang.
According to the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), they died of COVID-19 complications.
All eight were convicted of illegal drug trafficking, except for Sanchez, who was serving time for murder.
Their deaths have spawned suspicion of “foul play” because they died during pandemic lockdowns from May to June 2020 despite testimonies from other prisoners that they were in good health.
Except for one inmate, their remains were said to be hastily cremated.
Following the death of Jaybee Sebastian and other inmates, the NBI was formally tasked to launch an investigation.
In DOJ Order No. 179, the NBI, through then Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Eric Distor, was directed to launch a probe and file charges against anyone if necessary.
Sebastian reportedly died while undergoing treatment at the NBP hospital due to acute myocardial infarction as a complication of COVID-19.
Sebastian hogged the headlines when he testified before a House committee investigating the alleged involvement of detained Sen. Leila de Lima in the illegal drugs trade in 2016.
