Bilibid guard shot; he earlier got threats over prison raids

A NEW Bilibid Prison (NBP) guard who also operates a lotto outlet in Muntinlupa City was shot and wounded by still unidentified assailants on Wednesday.

Prior to the attack, Ariel Bermoy received death threats stemming from his frequent participation in “Oplan Galugad,” the antismuggling crackdown at the NBP which was launched late last year, according to the police.

Senior Supt. Nicolas Salvador, officer in charge of Muntilupa police, said Bermoy remained in the hospital as of Thursday after being shot in the stomach and thigh around 6 a.m. on Rizal Street, Barangay Poblacion.

According to Salvador, the 44-year-old Bermoy was collecting revenues from his lotto outlet in Poblacion when shot by one of the two men were on a motorcycle. At least three bystanders saw the shooting.

Investigators have ruled out robbery since nothing was taken from the victim, who owned another business—a gym—in the same village, the police official said.

Salvador said the motive for the attack may be “work-related” since, according to Bermoy’s superiors, the prison guard earlier received death threats in connection with his participation in Galugad.

The NBP has been conducting surprise inspections of the inmates’ quarters to rid them of contraband, from firearms and bladed weapons, illegal drugs and communication gadgets, etc.

“The BuCor (Bureau of Corrections) supervisors have given us names of possible suspects,” Salvador said. Kristine Felisse Mangunay