Aguirre orders leak of BuCor report on ‘privileges’ for inmates investigated

February 13, 2017

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Monday ordered an investigation on how a  confidential report of the Bureau of Corrections indicating that he allowed granting special privileges to New Bilibid Prison inmates who testified against Senator Leila de Lima leaked.

In a one-page memorandum, Aguirre required BuCor chief Benjamin Delos Santos to y probe the leakage and "file appropriate administrative charges to those officials and employees involved."

The leaked document, dated December 9, 2016 and signed by BuCor legal Alvin Lim,  contained minutes of the December 2, 2016 conference of lawyers of the BuCor, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) regarding the eight high-profile Bilibid inmates being held at the detention facility of the Intelligence Service of the AFP (ISAFP).

In his report, Lim claimed that the inmates have been allowed to use cellphones inside their cells.

“When pressed for comment, elements of both PNP and BuCor invoked that they are just following the express instruction of the Hon. Vitaliano N. Aguirre II to allow the entry of the above-enumerated gadgets in return for the testimony they have during the congressional inquiry on the proliferation of drugs inside the New Bilibid Prisons," stated the document.

Aguirre denied the allegation. He said the leak of the confidential report was meant to prevent him from being confirmed by the Commission on Appointments.

"The motive really there is to block my confirmation," he said.

Aguirre's appointment was deferred by the CA due to opposition from Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.  He will face the commission on Wednesday. DMS