Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 6)— Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Friday revealed it’s not the first time he’s heard of complaints on the alleged “freedom for sale” scheme in the New Bilibid Prison.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Dela Rosa, who served as Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief from April to October 2018, said he personally investigated if the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) was indeed being sold to inmates’ families. However, he came up short as no admissions surfaced.
“The whole time na nandoon ako (I was there), I was trying to find out kung meron talaga (if there’s such thing) but unluckily, wala akong nadiscover na merong ganoon (I wasn’t able to discover anything) ,” Dela Rosa told CNN Philippines’ News Night.
“Merong nagcocomplain and I attended to their complaints. Ako mismo, nagconduct ng investigation. Sabi nila, sir yung GCTA ng asawa ko hindi nila binibigay na ganito, dapat nakalabas yung asawa ko sir porke ba mahirap kami wala kaming pambayad sa GCTA hindi ibibigay sa samin ‘yan,” the senator added.
[Translation: There were some who complained, and I attended to their complaints. I personally conducted an investigation. They said, ‘sir, my husband/wife’s GCTA wasn’t followed. My husband/wife should’ve already been freed. Does it mean that if we’re poor, and we can’t buy GCTA, it won’t be handed to us?’]
Dela Rosa, however, noted no specific names of BuCor officials or amounts were identified in the complaints.
The so-called scheme grabbed the spotlight as a witness alleged that some BuCor officials and personnel attempted to sell her husband’s early release from Bilibid in exchange for ₱50,000.
Yoly Camilon claimed that she is just one of at least 20 people offered their kin’s freedom in exchange for cash.
Malacañang earlier said Dela Rosa should face a probe to determine whether the former BuCor chief should also be held accountable for the release of heinous crime convicts.
Dela Rosa earlier admitted during a Senate probe that he signed 120 release orders for heinous crime convicts. He said most of them were “murderers and rapists”.
READ: Ombudsman probes BuCor officials over heinous crime convicts’ early release
The government in August temporarily suspended the processing of papers for GCTA, a provision in the Revised Penal Code which shortens jail time for good behavior, pending a review by the Justice and Interior departments.
Senator Bato Dela Rosa: There were some complaints about 'good conduct law for sale' during my time as BuCor chief https://t.co/msCLmwV0u6 pic.twitter.com/fgrm661b3h
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) September 6, 2019
