‘Bato’ nets shabu, weapons in Bilibid raid

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Director General Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa yesterday conducted his first operation against illegal / banned items at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa.

Under Oplan Galugad, combined elements from the Philippine National PoliceSpecial Action Force (SAF) Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and BuCor searched the dormitories at the NBP’s maximum and medium security camps.

Recovered were 42 grams of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride), 40 cell phones, 1 gram of suspected marijuana, P91,340 in cash, 798 knives, bladed and pointed weapons, 68 batons, 41 flash drives and memory cards, 448 packs of handmade cigarettes, 529 pornographic DVD movies, 14 DVD players and 69 sets of playing cards.

At the maximum security camp, authorities raided Buildings 5, 9 and 13, which house members of the Sputnik, Commando, Batang Cebu and Genuine Ilocano gangs.

The suspected shabu was found at Building 9 of the maximum security camp.

Dela Rosa, former Philippine National Police chief who assumed the top BuCor post on May 7, said there are many ways people use to smuggle shabu inside the NBP.

“They will suffer the consequence of their action. Binabawal na nga, bina-violate pa nila,” he said.

Despite finding shabu in NBP, Dela Rosa clarified that there is no shabu laboratory in the facility, adding that his goal is for NBP to become drug-free.