MANILA (UPDATE) — Former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) detainee Jose Adrian “Jad” Dera is now in a Muntinlupa jail, following the issuance of a commitment order from a Muntinlupa court, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said Monday.

• DOJ to probe NBI officials who allowed Dera to leave detention facility

“Jad Dera is already in Muntinlupa with a commitment order. Why he stayed in the NBI is beyond me… But we will get into the bottom of that,” Remulla said in a press conference.

Dera, who is a co-accused in a drug case against former Senator Leila de Lima, was caught last month returning to the NBI after dining out at a hotel in Makati.

He and the 6 NBI security personnel with him are facing complaints before the Justice department.

• Alleged drug trafficker Jad Dera admits to taking several trips outside NBI facility

“Yung nangyari kay Dera, isang malaking…Mabuti nga’t nangyari yan kasi may natuklasan kami na mga gawain ni Dera sa loob na kung saan naimpluwensiyahan niya yung ibang mga imbestigasyon ng mga taong nakakulong doon sa loob ng NBI detention. Siya ang nagmimistulang mayor ng mga nakakulong doon,” he said.

Asked to substantiate his claim, Remulla qualified his statement by saying: “Marahil may mga naimpluwensyahan na pangyayari sa loob na amin pang pinag-aaralan.”

However, he did not name which investigations were affected or how exactly Dera influenced them.

“Lahat ng posibilidad tinitingnan natin,” Remulla said.

“Pag mayor ka dyan, ikaw ang hari dyan. Yan ang natural na takbo ng pamumuhay sa loob ng mga piitan sa ating republika. Ganun ho. Meron pong nag-aaspire dyan na maging mayor,” he added.

The Justice chief said they are still probing how far Dera’s influence supposedly went.

“Inaalam pa namin. Kasi nga dapat yung puno’t dulo nito alam natin kung ano talaga. Kung siya ba talaga ang naging mitsa o siya ba ay nakatulong lang o ano ba ang kanyang naging papel? Pero may mga nagsasabi na marahil isa siya sa mga naka-impluwensya sa mga nangyayari sa loob,” he explained.

• NBI inmate Jad Dera files counter affidavit before DOJ

In a statement, Dera's lawyer Raymund Palad denied Remulla's claim.

"Dera is not the 'mayor' inside the NBI detention cell. He became good friends sa mga escorts kaya nakakalabas. He admitted it sa Senate inquiry. No idea as to NBI probe," Palad said.

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