Cash, guns seized from drug lord’s cell in Bilibid

MANILA, Philippines - The police Special Action Force (SAF), which recently took over security at the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, has seized over P1 million in cash, guns, illegal drugs and electronic devices from the cell of a convicted drug lord, Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II reported yesterday.

Aguirre told radio dzMM that the contraband was seized from the cell of Peter Co, who was named by President Duterte as one of the top drug traffickers in the country. 

The SAF will continue the raids at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), particularly in Building 14 where high-profile convicts are detained.

Aguirre said SAF commandos, backed up by an armored vehicle recovered over P1 million from Co in three consecutive days.

“Also recovered were high-power firearms, shabu, cellphones, chargers and other electronic devices,” he said. 

Aguirre said raids are being concentrated on the maximum security compound that has at least 14,000 inmates and Building 14 where 33 high-risk and high-profile convicts are detained.

He said criminal charges would be filed against Co and other prisoners who were caught in possession of the contraband and other banned items inside the national penitentiary. 

Aguirre also announced the transfer of convicted carjacker Raymond Dominguez to Building 14. 

During the same interview, Aguirre said that a team of experts from Davao City would use high tech devices to search for a reported underground tunnel in the NBP where a shabu laboratory was allegedly located.

He said the presence of the underground laboratory was reported to him by a non-government organization conducting social service work inside the NBP.

Aguirre said the search for the tunnel would be undertaken with the use of high tech equipment that could detect underground facilities through satellite imaging technology.

Aguirre also dismissed reports of harassment of NBP inmates by the SAF.

Instead, Aguirre lauded the SAF men guarding the NBP for strict implementation of prison rules.

Aguirre believes the allegations of harassment could be part of a “misinformation” campaign by several inmates who are disgruntled with the strict implementation of rules of the SAF men.

“They say the SAF are abusing their power already. There is a claim that some SAF men fired shots, hosed inmates – with one of them even punching an inmate who was just asking a question. These are not true,” he told reporters in an interview. – With Edu Punay