MANILA - An " imminent danger" to the life of convicted kidnapper Jaybee Sebastian prompted his transfer from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) to a detention facility of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre said Thursday.

Aguirre said he authorized the transfer based on the claim of Sebastian's camp that his life is still in danger months after he was stabbed by another inmate to allegedly prevent him from linking Senator Leila de Lima to the NBP drug trade.

"Iyung lawyer niya saka yung wife niya, matagal nang sumulat sa akin, several weeks na at humihiling na because of the danger doon sa Building 14, sapagkat ang mga kasama niya ay parang identified sila na kasamahan nung sumaksak sa kanya," Aguirre told radio DZMM.

"Isinangguni ko na iyan sa bagong direktor (Bureau of Corrections Director Benjamin Delos Santos) natin at parang talagang may imminent danger sa kanyang life."

(His lawyer and wife wrote to me several weeks ago and requested the transfer because of the supposed danger in Building 14 where those involved in the stabbing incident are also housed. I consulted the new Corrections director and it appears that there is indeed an imminent danger to Sebastian's life.)

Sebastian's assailant, Tomas Doniña, has submitted a sworn statement that a former colleague from the Navy instructed him to attack Sebastian last September 28 to stop him from appearing in a congressional inquiry.

Sebastian, leader of the NBP's Commando gang, later told congressmen that he gave P12 million in drug payoffs to De Lima when she was still justice secretary.

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Masterminds of the previous attack on Sebastian may be behind the ongoing threat to his life, Aguirre surmised, adding that another bladed weapon was confiscated inside NBP's Building 14 earlier this week.

Newly installed grills inside the high-security building have also prevented inmates from leaving their respective quarters, the justice chief added.

Aguirre said the supposed threats to Sebastian's life are being investigated, and if proven false, the convicted crime boss will be transferred back to the state prison.