Bilibid ‘VIP’ inventory: 19 guns, 403 bullets, 268 appliances

MANILA, Philippines—The recent haul of contraband confiscated mostly from moneyed inmates of New Bilibid Prison (NBP) is more than enough to start up a store of high-end appliances and gadgets—with the backroom serving as a gun shop.

The NBP administration, under fire since last month for again allowing so-called VIPs or “very important prisoners” to live in virtual luxury, released on Thursday an inventory of items seized in a series of raids initiated by the Department of Justice, which has since sacked five prison officials.

The items include 19 firearms, 403 pieces of assorted ammunition and at least 268 appliances and gadgets—air-conditioning units, flat-screen TVs, home theater systems, refrigerators and gaming consoles.

Most of the guns were pistols but also included an M16 rifle and improvised shotguns.

These were the result of raids conducted on the inmates’ “kubol” or detention spaces at the maximum security compound on Dec. 22, 29 and 31 last year, and on Jan. 4 and 6.

Supt. Richard Schwarzkopf, officer in charge of the NBP, told reporters that the majority of the items were actually surrendered by the inmates. Those who still tried to hide contraband would “definitely” face charges while those who voluntarily gave up theirs would be spared, he said.

Rachel Ruelo, OIC for prison and security of the Bureau of Corrections, said some of the items were turned in after a dialogue with the inmates.

As to how the guns had found their way into the kubol, Schwarzkopf had no immediate explanation, saying only that some rifles like the M16 could be disassembled and “we don’t have enough equipment to detect those kinds of metals.”

“We are doing all that we can (to rid the facility of all forms of contraband),” he said.

Yet on Thursday, a day after the last raid on the kubol and when the contraband list was released, a grenade explosion inside the maximum security compound killed an inmate and wounded 19 others. Investigators suspect that the attack either stemmed from another gang war or a retaliation for the raids.