Some inmates in 'riot' tested positive for drugs

MANILA - The Philippine National Police admitted Wednesday that illicit drugs were still found in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) even after elite policemen of the Special Action Forces (SAF) took control of the facility.

Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, investigator of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, said several high-profile inmates who were involved in a September stabbing incident also tested positive for drugs.

Found positive for drug use were a certain Dominguez and convicted drug trader Tony Co who was killed in the alleged brawl.

"Ang lumalabas po doon sa drug test result ay iyung namatay na si Tony Co, positive po sa iligal na droga. Pagkatapos po ng insidente, nagsagawa po ng drug test sa lahat ng inmates na andoon sa Building 14, at lumabas po sa resulta na iyung inmate na si Dominguez ay positive po sa iligal na droga," Ebreo said.

A SAF inspection at the cell of Peter Co, another crime kingpin, also yielded narcotics and various drug paraphernalia, Ebreo said.



The investigator said he is not sure if the contraband items came from an old stash.

Nevertheless, he insisted that the amount of drugs inside the state prison has been cut down since SAF commandos were deployed there last July.

"Mayroon pa rin pong iligal na droga pero hindi po natin masabi kung laganap kasi kung tutuusin po, iyung nakukuha ngayon, maliliit na amount lang kumpara sa dating nakukuha," he said.

(There are still drugs but we cannot say that it is widespread because the amount of drugs we are still confiscating has decreased.)

Ebreo also insisted that SAF personnel swiftly responded to the stabbing incident that broke out after an inmate reprimanded members of Tony Co's group who were engaged in a shabu session.

He added that the incident is unrelated to the simultaneous stabbing of kidnapper and alleged drug lord Jaybee Sebastian.