Onboard a tank, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gerald Bantag and National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Chief Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar surveyed the nine hectare maximum security compound.
After they identified the illegal structures, demolition equipment from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), fire trucks from the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and two police armored personnel carriers were used to tear down the illegal structures.
The maximum security compound has eighteen thousand inmates which includes notorious drug lords. One inmate was caught with marijuana.
Other contrabands such as cash, bladed weapons, videoke machines, and generator sets were also seized.
“Dyan sila nagtatago habang gumagamit ng cellphone hindi mo na makita. Ngayon kung makikita mo yung original structure, para silang gumawang fortress nila e. Ngayon pag meron kang intel na na-receive dyan, gusto mong pasukin ng mabilisan, dahil meron silang mga sariling lock dyan,” Bantag said.
This is the first time that several law enforcement agencies including the military and the Public Works Department banded together to inspect the state penitentiary.
“Pinakamaganda tulungan ko siya para tulungan niya kami maging tahimik ang ating komunidad. Ang problema sa ilegal na droga, sa dami nating malalaking trabaho, puro konektado dito. Pag masolve ito, maso-solve na ang problema namin lahat..” Eleazar said.
The DPWH estimated that it would take at least three days to demolish illegal structures in one quadrant and the maximum security compound has four.
Authorities will next target the illegal structures at the medium and minimum security compounds. (Jasper Camilo)