BuCor limits NBP inmates’ movements

After last month’s grenade attack which killed an inmate and injured nine others, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has announced the implementation of a new segregation strategy to make it easier for guards to monitor the 14,500 inmates at the New Bilibid Prison’s (NBP) maximum security compound.

BuCor Director Franklin Jesus Bucayu told reporters recently that the “quadrant” strategy called for dividing the compound—which is supposed to accommodate only 4,500 inmates—into four sections or quadrants.

“What happens here is if you are in a quadrant, you can’t just go to the second quadrant unless you are authorized. There is no crossing over. Before, you can just roam around [the compound],” he said.

According to him, each quadrant has its own commander of the guard, an overseer and several keepers.

Under the previous setup, there was only one commander of the guard and one overseer for the whole compound.

“This is so we can focus on the inmates better,” Bucayu said.

Although he did not say how many inmates would be assigned to each quadrant, 40 guards were added to the 280 already deployed to the compound to ensure the effective implementation of the segregation strategy.   “The effect of this is greater control and monitoring,” Bucayu added.

Recently, inmates in the maximum security compound announced that they had formed an umbrella organization—Liga ng Mga Barangay sa Kawanihan ng Koreksyon—as they called on the public to stop from referring to them by their gang names.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima earlier told reporters that the Jan. 8 explosion could be an act of retaliation, an offshoot of a gang war or an act of sabotage.

The explosion happened at 9:55 a.m. in the vicinity of Building 5D which housed members of the Commando Gang.

A gang member, Jojo Fampo, died while being treated at the NBP Hospital for puncture wounds in the chest and other parts of the body.

Among those injured were Eduardo Buenaventura Sr., Boby Torres, Laurio Felixberto, Reynaldo Cruz, Dominador Machete, Ramon Aguiling, Melchor Ingel, Eddie Garcia, Eduardo Ortillo, Anthony Nolla, Carlito Pili, Rowell Letun and Dexter Romero, also members of the Commando Gang; Ibrahim Lungbos of Batman Gang; and Ronald Javier, Macario Raja and Custodio Roxas of the Sputnik Gang.

De Lima said that based on an initial report, the grenade appeared to have come from an area occupied by Sputnik Gang members.

She explained that five minutes before the explosion occurred, Commando Gang leader JB Sebastian was seated in the area but he left before the grenade went off.