High-profile inmate killed, 3 others hurt
Bucor official reveals 3 versions of Bilibid prison stabbing incident
ONE high-profile inmate was killed while three others, including Jaybee Sebastian, were injured after trouble erupted inside the New Bilibid Prison’s (NBP) Building 14 yesterday morning.
The melee occurred amid a congressional investigation into the drug trade within the facility.
According to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II, inmate Tony Co died after a stabbing incident about 7:30 a.m. involving three other inmates: Sebastian, Peter Co, and Vicente Sy.
Sebastian, Peter Co, and Tony Co were brought to Muntinlupa Medical Center, while Sy was immediately rushed to the NBP hospital after the incident.
Aguirre said inmate Sy and Peter Co are in critical condition while Sebastian, whose stab wound is only superficial, is now in a stable condition.
Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) Director Rolando Asuncion says the seven to eight inmates involved in the riot are from two rival gangs.
De Lima expressed doubts yesterday that what happened was a real riot, saying the prisoners involved were those who refused to testify against her.
De Lima, a former justice secretary, has said Sebastian was a tipster who gave her department information that led to a 2014 raid of the penitentiary.
Bucor is looking into three versions of the stabbing incident in the NBP’s building 14 that resulted in the death of Tony Co.
In a press conference yesterday, Bucor spokesman Sonny del Rosario said initial investigation has revealed the there are three different versions of the riot in the Bilibid, which involved four high profile inmates namely Tony Co, Peter Co, Sy and Sebastian.
The first version, according to him, was from inmate Clarence Donggail who claimed in his testimony that he went to the cell of inmate Tony Co, where inmate Peter Co and Sy were staying, to call their attention as they were reportedly having pot session.
“Inmate Donggail went to the three and told them to stop what they were doing before the SAF [Special Action Force] will catch them. Then he went to a certain area when Tony Co approached him. Tony Co hit him and the rumble broke out,” del Rosario said.
After the incident, Tony, Peter, Sy and Sebastian were rushed to the Muntinlupa hospital but Donggail remained in the NBP as his injury, said del Rosario, was not fatal.
But this version of inmate Donggail was contradicted by another testimony made by inmate Peter Co.
According to NBP prison guard Alfonso, Peter Co told him that after breakfast, Donggail called him to go to the mess hall as the latter wanted to talk. But Co refused to go without Sy.
“After he (Peter) had breakfast, he was called as Clarence wanted to talk with him.
According to Alfonso, Peter Co claimed that Donggail stabbed him, Tony Co and Sy.
Sebastian, on the other hand, told Alfonso that he was stabbed by Tomas Domiña after Donggail, Peter Co and Sy left the mess hall to go to the cell of Tony Co.
“He said (Jaybee) that it was Tomas Domiña who stabbed him,” Alfonso said.