A ‘clincher’ in the timeline he made was when former Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa signed Department Order 953 which sought the DoJ secretary’s approval.

Senator Richard Gordon holds up a document attesting to the long list of irregularities inside the national penitentiary before resource persons who are former government officials. BOB DUNGO JR.

The trail of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) Law scandal leads to the steps of detained Sen. Leila de Lima, the Senate probe on the controversial measure, that would have resulted in the release of nearly 2,000 heinous-crime convicts, established yesterday.

Sen. Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon panel, believed the timeline showed detained De Lima exploited the law as an “opportunity” to raise money for her senatorial campaign in 2016.

In an ambush interview, Gordon believed that the testimonies of De Lima’s accusers, former Bureau of Correction (BuCor) officer-in-charge Rafael Ragos and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agent Jovencio Ablen Jr., will back this theory.

“To make the long story short, when the GCTA entered in 2013, she saw a good opportunity, because she will campaign and it is easy to raise money if (the releases) will be done through GCTA,” Gordon said.

However, he did not provide any fact to support his claim and just cited the pattern of behavior as narrated by the two witnesses.

It was De Lima and then Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Manuel Roxas who crafted the implementing rules and regulations of the law, which is now being blamed for the ambiguity of the law.

Gordon said he talked to former retired Police General Benjamin Magalong, now Baguio City Mayor, and said the “theory is possible,” because De Lima was allegedly receiving money and they could get more money through GCTA.

He also pointed out that a “clincher” in the timeline he made was when former Justice Secretary Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa signed Department Order 953, which sought the Department of Justice secretary’s approval before the BuCor chief approves the release of detainees who were sentenced with reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment.

“This was the clincher in the timeline. When Secretary Caguioa took the position, he changed the rules and placed (DO) 953 on GCTA and the release of the prisoners,” he claimed.

During the hearing, Gordon also implied that people are getting blind for money if they are running for a national position.

However, De Lima tried to belie Gordon’s allegations.

“I say they are the ones who accuse me because it was reported to me that they were practically the ones who testified for, if not guided the testimonies of Ragos and Ablen as presented by Sen. Lacson, who, I was told, asked primarily leading questions,” she said.

During the hearing, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go sought answers from key witness former Valencia City, Bukidnon mayor Jose Galario Jr., aside from BuCor officials, on the “hospital pass for sale.”

Go reiterated his assurance to the public that heads will roll and those responsible for these anomalies should be held accountable.

Nailing culprits to the wall Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go makes an important point in taking up the so-called hospital pass for sale which is one of the many rackets at the national penitentiary. BOB DUNGO JR.

“I have said this before, and I will say it again… I am convinced that there is either corruption or negligence in the way our correctional facilities are being managed. Let me assure the public, heads will roll. Those who need to account will be accountable,” Go previously said.

Opening his statement during the hearing, Go promised Galario protection as long as the latter tells the truth about the alleged corruption and abuse of power committed by authorities in the NBP Hospital.

“I want to thank former Mayor Jose Galario for having the courage to reveal to us this nefarious scheme. It is not easy to testify especially if it will put your life at stake. But rest assured, the Senate and this government will protect you as long as you tell us the truth,” he said.

The senator also shared with the committee that, during an earlier fire visit in Laguna, a child of an inmate divulged to him that a prominent drug lord availed of the “hospital pass for sale” scheme.

There were several money-making schemes inside the maximum security NBP, aside from letting contrabands inside the penitentiary, Ragos bared.

These activities include allowing prostitutes in, payments for abduction, gambling, approval of catering inside the NBP, collections for bribe for the BuCor officials, allowing contrabands to enter security compounds and special requests, like partying inside the penitentiary.

“Actually, there are a lot of unusual transactions regarding money-making,” said Ragos, a former officer-in-charge of BuCor as appointed by De Lima.

Ablen said that the “ballpark” figure for proceeds from money-making activities weekly reaches around P300,000 to P500,000 per week.

Ragos mentioned that high-profile inmates were able to invite “tilapia” or girl performers inside the compound to entertain these detainees in exchange for a bribe of as low as P30,000 for an overnight stay.

The bribery happens at the level of prison guards, Ragos said. He added that when these “tilapias” go out from the NBP they are held, sometimes by some policemen, in exchange for money. These prostitutes are identified as girlfriends of some Chinese inmates.

Ragos indicated a “kubol,” or the inmates’ VIP shelter, was being used as gambling hubs.

“At a prison building inside, they are gambling inside almost 24 hours because there is a lot of money inside,” Ragos said.

He added that catering services can enter the NBP for an amount of P800,000 a month.

He added every time a new official was assigned in BuCor, the inmates solicit money, and when they meet with the new director, the money is given to the new official.

“I observe when there is a new official, inside the Maximum (Security Compound), they immediately collect money. They are making money inside, the inmates themselves,” he said.

Ragos said that when he called for a meeting, convict Ahmin Buratong offered him a ring worth P600,000 without asking for it.

“That is the system that when a new official comes, the high profile (inmates) are called, then the money is prepared,” he further narrated.

Buratong was nabbed for operating a shabu tiangge in Pasig City.

Contraband, like cell phone, cigarettes and liquor, also freely enters the compound.

There were also special requests that the inmates pay for, which comes up to the level of the DoJ secretary.