SHABU, GUNS SMUGGLED INTO BILIBID

Mocking the presence of surveillance cameras, a syndicate run by
wealthy inmates delivers prohibited drugs and firearms to the New
Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City every week by as behind the
racket, The Manila Times has learned.

The ring has managed to keep prison officials looking the other way by
giving them "expensive gifts and money."

Security personnel interviewed by THE Times said officials earn over
millions of pesos a month from the sale of metamphetamine
hydrochloride, more popularly known as shabu, and assorted firearms.

One prison guard described NBP director Ricardo Macala as the hari ng
mga tulak (king of all pushers) inside the facility.

"They allow drugs to flourish here, corrupt the minds of the poor
inmates. In the end, we get the blame," the guard, who wanted to
hide his identity, said.

In an interview, Macala denied he allowed rich inmates to bring in
drugs, even calling the reports "another smear campaign against me."

"We have an electronic monitoring device, all activities are
recorded,: Macala told The Times.

A source in Bilibid point to one inmate, Alberto "Ambet" Antonio,
as in charge of distributing the illegal drugs and firearms with
Chinese convicts as "top clients."

"I pity the Chinese inmates because they're forced to buy from
Antonio," the source said.

Shabu, firearms warehouse

Bilibid insiders said Antonio's cottage inside the maximum security
compound has become one big shabu and firearms warehouse.
"Everything is stored there. If authorities are going to investigate
Antonio's compound, they'll see that it has become a storeroom for
drugs and weapons."

Documents obtained by The Times showed that a number of small arms
like revolvers and even grenades were indeed slipped into the facility
from January to November last year. Topping the list of the firearms
seized from inmates were 12-gauge shotgun shells, followed by .38 cal.
revolver, grenade and sumpak (improvised shotgun).

"They sell the weapons to the gangs," the source
said.

Majority of these weapons were intercepted at the maximum security
compound where Antonio stays.

"Batman and Robin"

Because they always work together in supposed shady deals, Antonio and
Macala earned the moniker "Batman and Robin" in Bilibid.

"They're the dynamic duo in all the anomalies here. Whatever
Antonio has, he should share with Macala. They're talking about
money all the time," the source said.

Antonio reportedly takes orders directly from Macala. "On his own,
Ambet won't make a move. It's Macala who's on top of
everything," the source said.

Prison guards said Antonio bribes them whenever they uncover an
anomaly. "Kami na ni Direktor ang bahala sa inyo," one of the
guards quoted Antonio as saying.

Shabu cover-up

As a proof that there is a market for illegal drugs at the national
penitentiary, a guard who had been assigned to the maximum security
compound disclosed that on May 19, 2001, he and his men confiscated
128.1048 grams of shabu from inmate Jose Ang Sy whose quarters Dorm
9-D13 is next to Antonio's.

Sy is serving a life term for drugs.

When they were to submit the shabu to the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) for a laboratory test, one of Macala's men
bluntly told them: " Direktor will just give you
P500,000."

The guards said they rejected the offer and had the item
tested.

The Times was furnished papers confirming that the 128.1048 grams of
shabu seized from Sy topped the list of Confiscated/Surrendered
Prohibited Drugs from January to November 2001.

Aside from shabu, an undetermined amount of marijuana sticks were also
confiscated.