After Leviste’s caper, what happens now to prison system?

Former Batangas Gov. Antonio Leviste has an organic house by a lake with plenty of fresh air to delight him, a far-cry from his mansion somewhere. The problem is: this is not a real house but a jail he built by and for himself, from which he sneaks out every time he thinks of having a toothache or he dreams of planting one billion trees, which should be enough to cover Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.

Wearing an orange T-shirt which defines what he is, a jailbird, Leviste talked like he was in a campaign as he answered questions from Department of Justice lawyers trying to extract from him the “juice” of how and why he could leave his jailhouse noticeably or unnoticeably, until he was caught red-handed.

Understand the man. Understand that a caged bird longs for freedom no matter how short in time it is or a few times it could be enjoyed. Everyone could have done what he did. A small piece of heaven, why not? For a price?

Comeuppance be not on him, but to and upon those on his guard, from top to bottom.

Leviste is not without money, and he seems to have much of it which he can share among the guards and the wardens and the little god of his prison camp – all of whom are money-starved – to buy some freedom.

Guards and the boss or bosses of the guards must be grilled fast and hard, so hard until they beat out the juice from the pulp. We can see this happening and Juan de la Cruz is expecting more.

End result: Leviste will still enjoy his jailhouse by the lake minus the zero attention from his guards, but with plenty of attention from the DOJ. Is this assessment fair to say?
—MANUEL BIASON,
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