BuCor seizes beer, shabu inside New Bilibid Prison

BuCor acting officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr. said around 7,000 cans of beer were seized during one of its “Oplan Galugad” raids at the NBP.

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Wednesday announced that it confiscated thousands of cans of beer and shabu inside the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).

According to BuCor acting officer-in-charge Gregorio Catapang Jr., around 7,000 cans of beer were seized during one of its “Oplan Galugad” raids at the NBP.

“Baka malasing ka pag nalaman mo ang presyo –P1,000 isa [You might get drunk if you learn how much this cost–P1,000 each],” Catapang said during the press conference.

“Oplan Galugad” is what BuCor calls its search raids inside the NBP for contraband and illegal activities.

Catapang said that this was the first time that the BuCor confiscated this many beer cans.

“First time na nakapasok na ganiyang kadami, parang nagdeliver ng truck (This is the first time we’ve confiscated this many beers as if it was delivered by a truck],” he said.

The alleged shabu, meanwhile, which was surrendered by a group inside NBP on November 1, will be sent to the crime lab to determine whether or not it was indeed crystal methamphetamine.

BuCor said that in total, 66,241 various contraband goods have so far been collected and confiscated by the agency — a total of 7,512 liquors, P55,000 cash, 1,142 communication devices, 1,314 deadly weapons, 1,019 cigarettes or tobacco, 104 gambling materials, and 150 uncategorized contraband.

All collected contraband was a mix of surrendered and caught items, said Catapang.

He explained that several groups surrendered the contraband after BuCor initiated a dialogue with the inmates.

“Because of the developments as regards to the Percy Lapid case and with the findings of Dra. Fortun that there were indeed drugs within the body of Mr. Villamor and was able to use the cellphone, I asked my men to go to the respective areas and tell the people or the inmates to voluntarily surrender whatever is in their possession,” said Catapang.

Catapang was referring to the case of Jun Villamor, one of the alleged middlemen behind the assassination of radio commentator Percy Lapid. Villamor died shortly after the alleged gunman behind Lapid’s murder surrendered.

BuCor first ruled natural causes as the reason for his death but an independent autopsy by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun determined homicide by suffocation as the cause of his death.

READ: ‘Homicide’ by suffocation – Fortun on Percy Lapid ‘middleman’

The said autopsy also led to the discovery of an illegal substance in his urine, which Justice Sec. Jesus Crispin Remilla called as another significant result of the autopsy, as it confirmed the drug problem inside the NBP complex.

RELATED STORIES:

Prison deaths high under Bantag, some found with ‘criminal intent’

Do lifestyle check on BuCor officials, solon urges Palace

JMS, je