Authorities have conducted thirteen "Oplan Galugad" or the extensive search of the inmate's cells at the New Bilibid Prisons. And each and every time, they still continue to find contraband. From guns to ammunition, hundreds of thousands of cash, forbidden luxury appliances, a Magic Sing gadget, laptops, pocket wifis, cellphones and signal boosters, Playstation consoles and even sex toys, aside from the illegal drugs and alcohol. As if they are instantly replenished after a raid has just been conducted. An above ground swimming pool was discovered behind a wall, labeled as a water tank. Even newly incarcerated convict Jason Ivler already had a cellphone on him.
Apparently the previous officials of the NBP think everyone else is an idiot. How could an elevated swimming pool be constructed without the authorities knowing about it? How could the tiles escape the inspection and scrutiny of the guards? This has led to the banning of construction materials into the NBP. It's about time. How could all the contraband discovered in the thirteen operations conducted to date have entered the prisons, without the guards' looking the other way?
I have always said that every single guard of the NBP must be terminated, with the military taking control of the facility temporarily. For as long as corrupt guards are still at the NBP, inmates with enough money and influence will have them in their pockets. Even if the NBP gets an upgrade of metal detectors, CCTV and x-ray machines, they are only as good as the operators behind them. Once they are bought by the rich and influential inmates, they are practically useless.
A new, modern prison is being planned at Nueva Ecija. According to former DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima, the prison will be ultra-modern. At an estimated cost of P50 billion, it should be. It may even be the largest of its kind in the world based on population. This is just like saying there are too many inmates. Building the prison far from Metro Manila may solve some of the problems plaguing the NBP. But again, these are all useless if those who will man the prison eventually end up serving the prisoners rather than guarding them.
For now, the NBP is hopeless. The "kubols" have been demolished, that swimming pool taken down, new equipment are being brought in and new rules are being implemented. But how long will it take before things go "back to normal?" Thirteen surprise inspections and they are still finding stuff. It may take thirty more. They might as well burn it to the ground to expose all the rottenness at the NBP. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they discover tunnels leading to shopping malls, complete with golf carts or maybe even their own rail system. Maybe they have an aircraft under the swimming pool, just like the X-Men?