The Philippine National Police,

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA, , ; Filipino: ''Ahensiya ng Pilipinas sa Pagpapatupad ng Batas Laban sa Bawal na Gamot'') is the lead anti-drug law enforcement agency, responsible for preventing, investigating and combating any ...

, National Bureau of Investigation led by Justice secretary Leila de Lima launched a series of raids on the

New Bilibid Prison The New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila is the main insular prison designed to house the prison population of the Philippines. It is maintained by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) under the Department of Justice. As of Octo ...

on December 15, 19, and 22, 2014, targeting drug lords allegedly operating inside the prison and to seize contraband reportedly in possession of some of the prison's inmates. Prohibited items such as methamphetamine chloride ( fil, shabu) and other drug paraphernalia, inflatable sex dolls, a stripper bar and jacuzzi were found in air-conditioned

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

s ( fil, kubol) of high-profile inmates. Police also found other contraband in the prison, such as firearms and bladed weapons, mobile phones, flat screen TVs, laptops, WIFi, luxury Patek Philippe, Cartier, and

Rolex Rolex SA () is a British-founded Swiss watch designer and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as ''Wilsdorf and Davis'' by Hans Wilsdorf and Alfred Davis in London, the company registered ''Rolex'' as the brand name of ...

watches, a sauna, and over in cash from body searches of several inmates. Officials handling the New Bilibid Prison were relieved on December 19 following an order from Ombudsman

Conchita Carpio-Morales Conchita Carpio-Morales (; born Conchita Claudio Carpio; June 19, 1941) is a former Ombudsman of the Philippines serving from 2011 to 2018. Prior to her appointment as Ombudsman, she held the post of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the ...

for an investigation on officials of the

Bureau of Corrections The Bureau of Corrections ( fil, Kawanihan ng mga Bilangguan, literally "Bureau of Prisons", which was the name of the agency from 1905 to 1989; abbreviated BuCor) is an agency of the Department of Justice (Philippines), Department of Justice w ...

chief Franklin Bucayu refused calls to resign following the findings of the raid. In an interview at

Malacañang Palace Malacañang Palace ( fil, Palasyo ng Malakanyang, ; es, Palacio de Malacañán), officially known as Malacañan Palace, is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the Philippines. It is located in the Manila distric ...

on December 24, 2014, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that while the discovery of illegal drugs and luxury items in the prison was "a pressing and scandalous issue," there was no need to fire Bucayu while the investigation was ongoing. De Lima defended Bucayu saying "it appears to me that he (Bucayu) was not in cahoots with the inmates. Perhaps he was hoodwinked by his men because he issued guidelines but these were not implemented." The secretary also said that "at the very least, his shortcoming was that he was not hands-on," but noted that Bucayu "now submits reports every day." Meanwhile, Bucayu insisted that he merely inherited the problem in the penal system but eventually resigned on June 1, 2015, citing health concerns and multiple death threats against him.

References

{{reflist, 30em New Bilibid Prison New Bilibid Prison raids Law enforcement in Metro Manila Crime in Metro Manila Controversies in the Philippines

See also

References