Bilibid VIPs were informed about the raid says NBI official

New Bilibid Prison (Monzonda / Wikipedia)

MANILA – The prison guards helped buy time for the Very Important Prisoners (VIPs) and deceived the officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) who raided the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) last Monday, said an NBI official.

Moreover, the inmates were already informed about the raid.

“Based on what we observed during the operations, the target inmates had been forewarned and were able to hide evidence of their ongoing illegal drugs operation inside the NBP compound with the help of some jail guards,” said Eric Isidoro, the NBI head of the antidrugs unit.

After the raid, nineteen inmates who were believed to be drug lords were transferred to an NBI facility.

On Wednesday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima revealed that they have plans of doing a raid of NBP in Muntinlupa to catch the inmates who are still doing illegal drug trade even inside their prison cells.

“We are evaluating the list [of prisoners involved in the drug trade] for a possible second wave of operations. Based on intelligence reports and information, they might also be involved in drug transactions, but I don’t think they are as big as the first [batch],” explained De Lima.

During the raid, headed by de Lima last December 15, Isidoro said that they were instructed to search the quarters of Peter Co, Tony Co, and Hans Sy.

“Except for [Peter] Co’s kubol (quarters), we did not find anything in the kubol of Tony and Sy that were incriminating. We later found out that the cells pointed to us by the jail guards as those of the convicts were wrong,” Isidoro said.

An NBI agent pointed out that the information about the raid was obviously leaked to the inmates.

Isidoro’s team found weapons in a compartment hidden behind a wall including a Walther PPK handgun, a 9mm Browning pistol, a 9mm Taurus pistol, a cal. 38 pistol and a Bushmaster rifle with optic sight in Peter Co’s quarters.

“When you enter his kubol it showed a regular cell with electric fans, but we observed carpentry tools and noticed the smell of fresh paint.

When we tapped the walls and removed the out-of-place Christmas tree, we saw a small hole. From that hole, we saw gym equipment,” Isidoro said.

The NBI agent also said that, “Behind the wall was the office of Co, equipped with a projector CCTV, an Apple desktop, five cell phones, a bar, the sauna and two bedrooms—one of which was equipped with disco lights.”

There is also an air conditioner, a La-Z Boy, an aquarium, and hot and cold shower.

According to Isidoro, the guards directed the NBI to the wrong quarters.

“It was also the other inmates who told us that it was not Sy’s kubol.

But the jail guard insisted it was the correct cell,” Isidoro said.

To this, NBI deputy director for intelligence Doy Doloiras said that all NBP officials and jail guards would be investigated.

“This is an open investigation and all NBP officials and guards will be asked to explain how the guns and other luxurious items were brought inside the state penitentiary,” said Doloiras.