Bilibid surprise check yields grenade, guns

A FIREARM reportedly owned by carjack gang leader Raymond Dominguez, a grenade, an improvised shotgun and some air-conditioning units were among the contraband seized during a surprise inspection at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on Tuesday.

More than 100 Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) personnel conducted the surprise check, the fifth to be held this month alone, according to Msgr. Roberto Olaguer, BuCor spokesperson.

The inspections were conducted starting at 4 a.m. in Buildings 2, 5 and 9 of the maximum security compound.

Olaguer said that members of the Commando Gang live in Building 2, while Building 5 is occupied by the Sputnik Gang.

Members of the two gangs, along with those of the Genuine Ilocano Gang, reside in Building 9.

Olaguer refused to say what contraband items were confiscated Tuesday, explaining that an official inventory was underway.

But a source said that among those seized were a grenade, an improvised shotgun, two air-con units and several bottles of “home-brewed” wine.

Also seized was a .45-caliber pistol found inside a garbage can in the Sputnik building. Some inmates said it belonged to Dominguez, who was recently charged with the death of Bulacan Judge Wilfredo Nieves who found him guilty of carjacking in 2012. Kristine Felisse Mangunay

Cop who left post charged after inmates escape

A CALOOCAN policeman who admitted that he left his post to watch a basketball game was relieved Tuesday after four of the seven prisoners in his custody escaped over the weekend.

Senior Supt. Bartolome Bustamante, Caloocan City police chief, ordered the relief of SPO1 Wilfredo Barrios, the duty desk officer at the time of the escape at the Caloocan Police Community Precinct (PCP) 6 in Camarin.

Aside from a criminal charge of infidelity in the custody of detainees, Barrios also faces administrative charges for abandoning his post, failing to conduct an ocular inspection and head count every two hours and for not properly implementing visiting hours at the detention center.

On the other hand, the commander of the Caloocan PCP 6, Chief Insp. Avelino Protacio II, was also relieved of his post and would be charged administratively based on the principle of command responsibility and for failing to supervise his subordinates.

Bustamante said there would be a full-blown investigation to determine the policemen’s extent of liability.

At press time, three of the four escapees have been rearrested by the police: robbery and holdup suspects Danilo Badoso, 21, and Ryan Vicente Modesto, 18, and Raymundo Abalantac, 44, who has been charged with possession of a deadly weapon. Still at large is Leonardo Manila, 32, who faces the same charge.

Investigation showed that the four escaped at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday by sawing off the iron grills of their detention cell using an improvised steel saw. Jodee A. Agoncillo

QC plant which leaked fumes reopens

THE CHEMREZ plant in Bagumbayan, Quezon City, that leaked fumes on Sunday partially resumed operations Tuesday while full operations were expected by Thursday, listed parent firm D&L Industries said.

In a report to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, D&L, which manufactures food and plastic inputs, said the “fumes have fully dissipated and the odor has subsided dramatically in the surrounding areas.”

Residents on Calle Industria earlier complained that the foul odor from the fumes still lingered in the air as of Monday afternoon, forcing some to leave their houses.

Citing an investigation into the cause of the fumes that originated from the plant, D&L said initial findings suggested that the fumes had “emanated from the vents of a storage tank and that the fumes were caused by heat generated by polymerization.”

“The situation has been contained and local authorities have deemed the immediate vicinity safe. Further, the Department of Health has stated the fumes are not hazardous at the level of dilution,” it added. Earlier, Quezon City fire marshal Supt. Jesus Fernandez said that the poison control unit of the East Avenue Medical Center was assessing the fumes’ level of toxicity to determine if residents should be evacuated. Doris Dumlao-Abadilla