Site Harry visitors discussed what to do with PDLs, says inmate

The inmate who said he witnessed the killing of high-profile convict Eugene Chua has said that he saw and heard three men discussing other persons deprived of liberty at Site Harry, the detention facility where inmates who tested positive for COVID-19 were taken in 2020.

According to John Consulta's report on "24 Oras", Rodel Tiaga mentioned the names of a certain Zulueta, Danny, and Mendoza who visited Site Harry on a few instances.

One of the men reportedly gave instructions before saying, "Para masabi ko kay DG [So I can tell DG]."

Asked who was the DG being referred to, Tiaga said there was no director general of the Bureau of Corrections at that time other than Gerald Bantag.

Bantag has since been suspended after his name was linked to the killing in October of broadcaster Percy Lapid and that of the inmate who allegedly acted as a middleman in the assassination.

While the identity of the person named Zulueta was not specified, jail officer Ricardo Zulueta is one of the officers close to Bantag..

Tiaga believes other high-profile inmates who died at the NBP during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic suffered the same fate as Chua.

At least seven other prisoners died at the penitentiary due to the dreaded virus but the NBI said their deaths were suspicious.

They are Francis Go, Shuli Lim Zhang, Willy Yang, Benjamin Marcelo, Sherwin Sanchez, Jimmy Ang, Ryan Ong, and Amin Buratong.

“’Yung pagkamatay nung mga kasama ko sa Site Harry, hindi sa COVID. Talagang pinatay 'yun...pinatay. Kung merong mamamatay sa COVID, ako 'yun, 'yung mga kasama ko kasi sabini positive ako. Kung negative, ibig sabihin walang covid eh bakit namatay?” said Tiaga.

It can be recalled that the NBI in July recommended the filing of charges against 22 members of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) who guarded the quarantine facility. It said the police have taken advantage of the cremation policy for COVID-19 patients to cover up the alleged killings.

“Evidence-gathering pa rin 'yan. We will test the testimonies if they will be strong enough to hold off in court so we can file appropriate cases. Again, dapat diyan aktuhan natin 'yan na nararapat sa batas and make people responsible for their acts para di na maulit. It should not happen again. Nobody has the right to play God,” said Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla. —Sundy Locus/NB, GMA Integrated News