Surprise Munti inspection yields unexpected results

A surprise inspection at the maximum security compound of the New Bilibid Prison on Wednesday yielded an unexpected result: No high-powered firearms.

The finding—or lack thereof—prompted the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) spokesperson to say it was possible that previous raids had succeeded in reducing the number of guns smuggled into the facility.

“Maybe. And when you walk inside, it feels much safer already. That’s my opinion,” Msgr. Roberto Olaguer said in a phone interview.

According to him, instead of firearms, BuCor officials found kitchen knives, scissors and a truncheon during a surprise inspection conducted by BuCor personnel in two areas of the compound.

The inspection which started around 4:30 a.m. covered Buildings 1, 4, 6, 7, 11 and 12.

Olaguer said a chapel, a mosque and a Buddhist temple were also included in the search.

“They didn’t find anything in the churches. There was a DVD player in the Buddhist temple but it was used only to play [a video showing] the life of Buddha,” he added.

Apart from the bladed weapons, BuCor personnel also found sex-enhancement drugs, two bottles of imported whiskey, television sets, an aquarium and at least three air-conditioning units.

Olaguer said the air-conditioning units appeared to be the “most expensive items confiscated during the inspection.

Authorities also seized P110,000 in cash but it was eventually returned to the owner, an inmate who was able to justify why he was carrying such a huge amount: He was getting married on Sunday.