Cash, drugs seized from new Bilibid inmates

MANILA, Philippines — Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) personnel confiscated cash, electronic gadgets and drugs during a search of the New Bilibid Prison’s Reception and Diagnostic Center (RDC), where new inmates are processed before being released into the general population, yesterday morning.

Gabriel Chaclag, BuCor’s public information office chief, told reporters yesterday that operatives seized a total of P81,808 cash, a cell phone, a flash drive, a sachet of methamphetamine hydrochloride and an improvised deadly weapon during the surprise inspection, called Oplan Galugad.

The amount of money confiscated from the inmates is “excessive” since they are only allowed P2,000 each week, he said.

“They are only allowed some small amount of cash for their everyday use, but what we saw was too much and even beyond what we have imagined,” Chaclag said.

“An investigation will be conducted and that is where will we determine the proper disposition for this amount of cash,” he added.

Last year, the BuCor destroyed illegally built shanties at the Bilibid’s maximum security compound.