MANILA, Philippines — An explosion struck Quadrant IV in the east sector of the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on Friday morning, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar said.
“Ongoing pa rin ang demolition and we started from one quadrant. ‘Yung fourth quadrant nasa kaliwa. Around 10 [a.m.] may explosion sa quadrant IV so hindi ito dinedemolish pero nagkaroon ng pagsabog,” Eleazar told reporters in an interview after a ceremony for the distribution of ATM and PhilHealth cards to police trainees in the NCRPO Headquarters in Taguig City.
(Demolition is ongoing and we started from one quadrant. The fourth quadrant is on the left side. Around 10 a.m. an explosion happened in Quadrant IV so this area is not being demolished but an explosion occurred.)
Eleazar noted that the initial findings showed the blast was from an improvised explosive device (IED). He added that two hand grenades and two blasting caps were seized inside shanties near Quadrant IV.
“After clearing the area, they were able to recover two hand grenades,” he said.
NCRPO’s Explosive Ordnance Division is investigating the incident, he added.
According to the NCRPO chief, no one was hurt in the incident because inmates already evacuated the area.
Eleazar said those who dwell in Quadrant IV are “violent extremist offenders.” /kga