Push Admin

Article (news)

BuCor probes 'tunnel' found in Bilibid

ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Sept. 18, 2019. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/11/11/20190918-bilibid-facade-gc-8530.jpg"/><figcaption>The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Sept. 18, 2019. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — The Bureau of Corrections said Friday it is investigating a &quot;tunnel&quot; found inside the New Bilibid Prison.</p><p>According to BuCor acting director-general Gregorio Catapang Jr., the hole is &quot;200 meters wide and 30 meters deep&quot;.</p><p>&quot;We don&#x27;t have the expertise here. We are calling the DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) to help us investigate this illegal quarrying sabi nila,&quot; he told ANC&quot;s &quot;Rundown&quot;.</p><p>&quot;But sabi ko nga, we are not expert so we would like to rely on expertise to look into this illegal quarrying,&quot; he added. </p><p>(We are calling the DENR to help us investigate this so-called illegal quarrying sabi nila. But as I said, we are not experts.) </p><p>Catapang said he couldn&#x27;t say for now if the &quot;tunnel&quot; was used for inmates to escape or smuggle contraband.</p><p>&quot;We will look into that. There are so many possibilities kung anong puwedeng gawin dun sa hinuhukay na &#x27;yan,&quot; he said. </p><p>(There are so many possibilities on what it could be used for.)</p><p>In a separate TV interview, Catapang said the &quot;tunnel&quot; was located near the Director&#x27;s Quarters, which is the official residence of the prisons bureau chief.</p><p>The DENR, he said, did not give a permit for the excavation project.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/02/22/bilibid-inmates-surrender-drugs-cellphones-weapons">Bilibid inmates surrender drugs, cellphones, weapons, beer</a></li></ul><p>The tunnel was discovered days after Bilibid inmates surrendered some <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/02/22/bilibid-inmates-surrender-drugs-cellphones-weapons">12,000 contraband items</a>, including illegal drugs, cellphones, weapons, and liquor.</p><p>According to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, some 400 inmates have escaped the facility in the past 40 years.</p><p>Around 29,000 inmates are serving time at the NBP, which was originally built for 6,000 detainees.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/18/22/remulla-seeks-to-reform-bilibid-relocate-some-inmates">DOJ&#x27;s Remulla seeks to reform Bilibid, relocate some inmates</a></li></ul><p>A Bilibid inmate allegedly served as a middleman in the murder plot against journalist Percival Mabasa, more known as Percy Lapid, in October. The alleged intermediary Jun Villamor died due to plastic bag suffocation, according to a second, independent autopsy.</p><p>Murder charges were filed this week against suspended BuCor chief Gerald Bantag and deputy security officer Ricardo Zulueta over the killing of Mabasa.</p><p>Investigators believed Bantag ordered the Oct. 3 hit on Mabasa due to the media man&#x27;s continued exposés against him. Bantag said last month that he had nothing to do with the killing. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/07/22/bantag-faces-raps-over-lapid-villamor-killings">Murder raps filed vs Bantag, BuCor official in Lapid/Villamor killings</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/10/22/remulla-rejects-bantag-as-state-witness-in-lapid-murder-case">&#x27;Wishful thinking&#x27;: Remulla rejects Bantag as &#x27;state witness&#x27; in Lapid murder case</a></li></ul><div><strong>— With reports from Davinci Maru, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse</strong><br/> </div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2337812" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The Bureau of Corrections said Friday it is investigating a 'tunnel' found inside the New Bilibid Prison.