Quezon City jail search yields improvised weapons

MANILA, Philippines —  The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology confiscated improvised weapons during an Oplan Greyhound operation at the Quezon City Jail yesterday, a week after a riot at the detention facility left two people dead.

Jail warden Superintendent Ermilio Moral said two sacks of assorted weapons such as iron grills and knives were recovered. No illegal drugs were recovered during the search, which started at around 7:30 a.m. and ended at around 10 a.m.

No untoward incidents occurred when the 3,414 prisoners were herded out of their detention cells.

"The operation went smoothly," Moral said in a phone interview.

The operation took place a week after two prisoners died and 12 others were injured during a riot between gangs at the jail.

The riot happened after a member of Bahala na Gang accidentally splashed water on members of the Batang City Jail. The clash lasted for about 30 minutes.

Moral said the the riot was among the reasons the search was conducted to prevent another incident from happening.

"We also conduct this regularly to rid our jail of contraband," Moral said.