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<img loading="lazy" src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-8/sebastian-delima.webp" alt="Jaybee Sebastian and Leila de Lima" />
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(Leila de Lima, Jaybee Sebastian)
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Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra stressed this on Monday, July 20, 2020 as he, himself, seeks answers to the many questions surrounding Sebastian's death as well as those of other inmates involved in prominent drug cases.


Sebastian reportedly died on Saturday after showing symptoms of the new coronavirus. He was taken to Site Harry, a COVID-19 isolation center at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), several weeks ago before he was said to have expired.

His body was quickly taken to the Panteon de Dasmarinas in Cavite where he was cremated on the same day. A representative of the crematorium confirmed that his cadaver was among those attended to by the facility.


There had been 29 other cadavers delivered by the NBP to the Panteon de Dasmarinas, some of them reportedly COVID-19 patients.


Sebastian's was the only body cremated on Saturday, July 18, 2020.


Among those who were cremated at the facility reportedly due to COVID-19 were drug convicts Francis Go (who reportedly died on May 19), Zhang Zhu Li (May 31), Eugene Chua (June 3), Jimmy Kinsing Hung and Benjamin Marcelo (no date of death).


Jimmy Yang (June 1), Amin Buratong and Ryan Ong (no dates of death) - all drug convicts - have also reportedly died due to COVID-19.


Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Chief Gerald Bantag refused to confirm the names of convicts who died and had been cremated citing the Data Privacy Act.


The Department of Health (DoH) also refused to confirm the reported deaths of the high-profile inmates with Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire saying it falls under the Department of Justice's (DoJ) jurisdiction.


Guevarra, meanwhile, said he has called Bantag to discuss the death of several persons deprived of liberty (PDL).


Sebastian was the leader of Presidio, one of the two major gangs in the NBP. It considers as rival the gang called Carcel, which is led by Herbert Colango.


Sebastian was convicted for kidnapping and carnapping.


Colango, meanwhile, was imprisoned for kidnapping.


The two figured in the controversial probe on the alleged links to the illegal drug trade by the DoJ Chief De Lima before she was elected as a senator.


While he was a co-accused with De Lima, Sebastian also testified against the detained lawmaker, whom he claimed received P14 million from him as her alleged share from the narcotics trade within the NBP.


De Lima was indicted for conspiring with Sebastian, former BuCor chief Jesus Bucayu and his former staff Wilfredo Elli, Del Lima's driver and lover Ronnie Dayan, her former security aide Joenel Sanchez an a Jad De Vera.


The money, Sebastian claimed, was used to fund De Lima's senatorial campaign.


With Sebastian's death, Guevarra said there remains an array of witnesses to testify against the lawmaker in the court.


Presidential spokesman Secretary Harry Roque said the Palace will let the DoJ investigate the deaths of the high-profile inmates. He said:

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"We'll leave it to Secretary Guevarra. If there was a foul play on the death of Sebastian, I'm sure a full-blown investigation will be held."

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Sources: 

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Sebastian's death won't save Leila, July 21, 2020 <a href="https://tribune.net.ph/index.php/2020/07/21/sebastians-death-wont-save-leila/" class="news_link" target="_blank" title="Source">Alvin Murcia</a>, The Daily Tribune News
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Death of Jaybee Sebastian won't weaken Leila de Lima's drug case