BuCor names acting head of NBP's maximum security compound after riot, prisoners escape

A new acting superintendent has been named to manage the maximum security compound (MaxSeCom) of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City following last Jan. 2 riot and Jan. 17 escape of prisoners.
Named acting superintendent of MaxSeCom was C/Supt. Jayferson G. Bon-as in a special order issued by Bureau of Corections (BuCor) Acting Director for Administration CT/CSupt. John Paul O. Santos.
Bon-as took over the post from C/Supt. Roy Villasi who was temporarily designated MaxSeCom superintendent when then superintendent CSupt. Arnold Guzman was relieved of his post after the Jan. 17 escape of four prisoners.
The Jan. 2 riot resulted in the deaths of three persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) and injuries to 14 others. Of the four escapees, two of them were killed during pursuit while the two are still at-large.
Prior to his designation as head of MaxSeCom in NBP, Bon-as was the head of BuCor’s firefighter unit and acting superintendent of the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm in Palawan.
“As Acting Superintendent of SPPF, he was able to upgrade its physical facilities including the SPPF Water System, the Old Administrative Building, the Siburan Training Camp, and others,” BuCor said.
It said that during Villasi’s brief stint as caretaker of MaxSeCom, he “started the demolition of makeshift houses (kubol) and search for contrabands last Jan. 28.”
Almost 500 pieces of “bladed and improvised deadly weapons” were recovered during the demolition, BuCor Deputy Director General Gabriel P. Chaclag said.
He said other camps within NBP will similarly be cleared of illegal, unauthorized and makeshift dwellings on orders of BuCor Director General Gerald Q. Bantag.
Justice Secretary Menardo I. Guevarra had directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to probe the riot and escape of prisoners at the NBP.
“I will also recommend to the Office of the President that disciplinary action be taken against BuCor officials who may be found guilty of gross neglect of duty,” Guevarra said.
NBI Deputy Director Ferdinand M. Lavin said the ongoing riot and escape investigation has been assigned to the NBI’s Special Action Unit (NBI-SAU).