The New Bilibid Prison. FILE PHOTO
Authorities from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) discovered that inmates have received advance information on raids to be conducted inside the penitentiary.
During a raid conducted Tuesday, authorities discovered that an inmate received an SMS (short messaging system or cell-phone text message) informing him of the Tuesday raid.
“Most likely it was the wife who texted the inmate,” NBP Superintendent Richard Schwarzkopf said in a text message.
He said they will conduct an investigation on the matter.
Earlier, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director Rainier Cruz said five lower-ranking officials are under investigation.
He, however, did not give details on the reason.
On the 11th raid conducted under the “Oplan Galugad,” no drugs were seized by authorities.
The raid was conducted inside Bilbid’s Maximum Security Compound at its Quadrants 1 and 2 specifically Dormitories 9 and 5.
In its Tuesday raid, authorities seized 76 pieces of bladed weapons, 19 baton sticks, two screwdrivers and fan knife, a sex toy, three pieces game controller, seven pieces auto voltage regulator, two pieces joystick and a Wi-fi router.
Also confiscated is a tattoo machine, 23 pieces DVD player and portable DVD player, a flat screen LED TV, 12 pieces standard colored television, 40 pieces assorted speakers, two pieces amplifier, a stereo, signal booster and 12 pieces remote control.
Authorities also confiscated 34 pieces of assorted mobile phones, five pieces assorted chargers, a headset and sim card, one split-type air conditioning unit, 11 pieces wall fan, six pieces exhaust fan, five pieces rice cooker, one single burner stove, two blenders, one juicer, one oven toaster, three water heater, three LPG tanks, one chest freezer, two flat iron and two airpots.
Authorities also confiscated an aquarium, one typewriter, one massager, one vacuum cleaner, two motor shocks, two regulator, one tripod, one microphone, one set of Christmas lights, table top glass, four weights (two kgs and two 10lbs plates), domino sets, playing cards and dice.
Schwarzkopf said appropriate charges will be filed against the inmates who owned the said contrabands.
In previous raids inside the NBP, authorities confiscated alleged illegal drugs, sex-enhancing pills, improvised handguns and knives, electrical appliances including DVD players, cellular phones, air-condition units, surveillance cameras, television sets, chargers, washing machines, air compressor, expensive liquors, pocket Wifi sticks, sex enhancers, fighting cocks, pet dogs, bladed weapons, drug paraphernalia, wooden knuckles, scissors and metal pipes.
It would be recalled that in December 2014, authorities personally led by then Justice secretary Leila de Lima also swooped down on the NBP compound and confiscated illegal drugs, firearms, cash, sex toys and other prohibited items.
The raid, part of the crackdown against the illegal drugs trade inside the NBP, also resulted to the temporary transfer of 19 inmates to the National Bureau of Investigation detention facility in Manila while authorities were renovating a building designed to hold high-profile inmates.TVJ