The Bureau of Corrections deserves kudos for its regular inspections of inmates’ quarters at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, former Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said.
Lacson said that without the inspections under Oplan Galugad, some inmates would still enjoy unwarranted privileges including access to luxury items and exotic pets.
“Buti ang NBP, ang bagong director (ng BuCor), I take my hat off to him, sige ang kanyang raid, di makaporma (ang inmates),” he said in an interview on the ABS-CBN News Channel.
He said there have been many reports of some inmates getting privileges, with big-time drug pushers continuing their operations even from behind bars.
Past inspections under Oplan Galugad had yielded items ranging from appliances to exotic pets and even improvised weapons.
Lacson, who headed the Philippine National Police from 1999 to 2001, noted big-time drug lords from China still enjoy the good life even after being sentenced to imprisonment at the national penitentiary.
“Ang mga big-time drug lords from Mainland China sa Pilipinas pupunta, kasi doon maski ma-convict ako, may bungalow ako, tuloy ang aking trade. I’ll continue plying my trade as a drug dealer and manufacturer,” he said.
“Dito maski nakakulong they live like kings,” he added.
Lacson is running as an independent senatorial candidate and is pushing the Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE), which proposes the downloading of funds from the national budget to the barangay, city, municipal and provincial levels.
"If we give each of our 81 provinces P500 million to P1 billion; each town P50 to P100 million; each city P150 to P300 million and each barangay P3 to P5 million for development projects, we can generate jobs and lure people in the metropolis to the provinces," Lacson said.
The added amounts are on top of the 20 percent of internal revenue allotments (IRAs) for local government units' local development projects, plans and activities.
He said the funds may be taken from the unused part of the national budget, which amounts to an average of P332 billion a year from 2002 to 2015. Such unused amounts ballooned to P703.6 billion in 2015.
But this proposed distribution of appropriations can be used only for LGUs' developmental endeavors, and not for other purposes.
With BRAVE, Lacson said people seeking jobs in Metro Manila and major urban areas can be convinced to return to their home provinces - if local government units get enough funds to implement development projects.
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