MANILA: After his agents and security personnel were apparently outsmarted by the Bilibid VIPs or “very important prisoners,” who were able to smuggle hefty amounts of cash and communication gadgets when moved last month from the national penitentiary, the chief of the National Bureau of Investigation issued new guidelines to further isolate the moneyed, well-connected inmates.
NBI director Virgilio Mendez is imposing a ‘’no-contact policy,” under which the transferees from the New Bilibid Prison would remain segregated from other detainees and no NBI agent can approach them.
Only organic agents and special investigators are authorized to guard the Bilibid inmates and nonorganic personnel are barred from entering the bureau’s jail compound, according to Mendez’s directive, a copy of which was obtained by the Inquirer.
Any communication made with any NBP inmate must be duly recorded in a logbook. The inmates may be given only food regularly rationed by the bureau and not any item bought from outside, it added.
Inmates with medical complaints shall have to be examined by the medico-legal officer on duty. In emergency cases, no inmate shall be brought to a hospital without the endorsement by the medico-legal, a recommendation from the NBI director and an approval from Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.
