NBI probes possible links in prison officials’ slays

The National Bureau of Investigation is looking into a possible connection between recent killings of former and current officials of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) as well as the explosion of grenades in the national penitentiary, an NBI official said on Thursday.

Lawyer Virgilio Mendez, NBI deputy director for regional services, said that among the killings they were looking into was that of Noel Villacorta, an NBP doctor, the other day.

“Initial investigation showed some of the previous and recent killings of prison officials could be related and connected to supposed different illegal activities inside which could include illegal drugs,” Mendez said.

He, however, declined to provide details of the investigation.

“We are looking into the deaths of the victims and possible motives and if there are others who might be in danger, seeing the series of violence,” Mendez said.

Last week, a grenade exploded on the roof of the mosque inside the NBP, injuring three inmates.

In November 2012, six inmates were wounded after a grenade was thrown at them from behind in the prison’s maximum security compound.

Villacorta was shot dead by unidentified gunmen inside a canteen near the Alabang Medical Center along the national road in Barangay Putatan on Jan. 7.

In September last year, a former Bureau of Corrections superintendent was shot dead in his SUV as he was leaving his home in the NBP reservation in Muntinlupa City.

Francisco Abonales was a former superintendent at the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm. He was driving his Pajero out of his garage in Vicar Village when unidentified assailants shot him.