In an unprecedented move, the Muntinlupa City Council passed six resolutions Saturday, pertaining to the construction of walls on roads inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
This is the first time that six resolutions were passed by the City Council in one special session.
The emergency special session was held by Muntinlupa councilors after BuCor erected a concrete wall on Friday night on a road that served as a main access point to the city proper of residents of the DOJ’s Katarungan Village 1 and 2 housing projects, and students and teachers of Muntinlupa National High School-Main (MNHS) and Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Muntinlupa (PLMUN), which are adjacent to the village.
Residents tore down the wall but a new wall was built on Saturday. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra told Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon in a text message, “Cong. Ruffy, I have been informed about it. The DOJ has not received any prior notice about this action on the part of the BuCor.”
“I have strongly recommended to DG Bantag to stop any further action on the wall/bridge until we have sat down to discuss it (the DOJ exercises supervision only over the BuCor). I have also reported the matter to ES Medialdea . We will keep you posted on further developments,” added Guevarra.
According to Majority Floor Leader Coun. Raul Corro, the six resolutions passed by the Muntinlupa City Council on Nov. 27 are:
1. Resolution strongly condemning the actions of the Bureau of Corrections and its officials who were responsible for the sudden and illegal closure of the road leading to Katarungan Village, MNHS and PLMun;
2. Resolution requesting the Senate of the Philippines to conduct an urgent investigation in aid of legislation on the sudden closure of the road leading to the Katarungan Village 1 and 2 and MNHS and PLMun, including the roads leading to the Southville 3 NHA Housing project and Type B NBP Reservation;
3. Resolution authorizing the city mayor thru the city legal office to file all applicable civil, criminal and administrative cases against erring officials of the Bureau of Corrections for the sudden and illegal closure of several roads in NBP Reservation and the illegal eviction and demolition of informal settlers in violation of the Constitution, the UDHA Law and city ordinance;
4. Resolution requesting the Committee on Justice of the House of Representatives, thru Congressman Rozzano Rufino Biazon, to update the City Government on the latest status of its Committee Report on the closure of the roads leading to Southville 3 and Type B Road in NBP;
5. Resolution declaring the Bureau of Corrections Director, Undersecretary Gerald Bantag as “persona non grata” (unwelcome person) in the City of Muntinlupa;
6. Resolution requesting the President of the Philippines Hon. Rodrigo Roa Duterte as appointing authority of the Bureau of Corrections director, to immediately recall and/or overturn the actions of the said official in the illegal road closures and illegal eviction and demolition of informal settlers in the NBP Reservation in violation of the Constitution, all relevant national laws and ordinances.
Bantag previously explained in a letter to Fresnedi that the closure of the Insular Prison Road in NBP was for security reasons.
Bantag said part of the safekeeping of prisoners “is security which ensures that inmates are completely incapacitated from further committing criminal acts, and have been totally cut off from their criminal networks (or contact in the free society).”
“Security also includes protection against illegal organized armed groups which have the capacity of launching an attack on any prison camp of the national penitentiary to rescue their convicted comrade or forcibly amass firearms issued to Corrections Officers,” he said.
He added that allowing the use of the Insular Prison Road “puts the safety and well-being of the public in danger. It is a wrong public policy to continue a dangerous practice of letting the public pass through the middle of a supposedly high security risk prison compound.”