MANILA, Philippines – Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said he is “seriously considering” moving a convicted drug lord and another alleged to be one to a maximum security prison in an island where it would be impossible for them to continue directing drug trafficking operations.

Aguirre made the proposal following the warning of President Rodrigo Duterte to 3 drug lords – including convicted drug lord Peter Co and convicted robber Herbert Colangco who are still allegedly able to direct drug trafficking operations while serving time in the New Bilibid Prison.

In 2014, drug lords in the prison were found to be enjoying the high life, able to smuggle illegal drugs and drugs paraphernalia into their cells with help from corrupt prison guards.

For this reason, Aguirre is considering moving the two inmates into an island prison. He is considering two islands for the location of this facility: Caballo Island off Manila Bay and an unnamed island in Palawan. (READ:DOJ under Duterte admin: Reform BuCor, New Bilibid Prison)

“In the long run, we are also contemplating even transferring them to Caballo Island or to an island in Palawan,” he told Palace reporters on Thursday, July 7. 

Such islands are likely to have no cellular phone signals, making it an ideal location for blocking efforts of drug lords remotely calling the shots on trafficking operations.

“You know that, and [it] was validated again, that without the cellphones, no transaction whatsoever will be done inside the New Bilibid Prison by these drug lords,” said Aguirre. 

Caballo Island, a rocky island beside Corregidor, was where Filipino peacekeepers from Liberia were quarantined for almost a month in 2014 due to fears of an Ebola spread.

It is currently occupied by the Philippine Navy and is off-limits to civilians.

Because the planned maximum security prison will take a while to build, Aguirre is considering moving Co and Colangco to nearby prisons, including one in Tanay and the detention facility in the Intelligence Service Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP). 

He repeated plans to replace current prison guards with members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (SAF), an arrangement he has already discussed with PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa.

“[Dela Rosa] has already made arrangement with the SAF who will be in the ones taking over the prison guards, employees so that the old guards and the employees could be taken out for retraining and reeducation,” he said.

Aguirre had earlier said he intends to purchase P10 million worth of signal jammer equipment for the New Bilibid Prison. – Rappler.com