A HEADLESS human body was retrieved from a septic tank of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, a ranking official of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) expressed suspicions that the septic tank has been turned into a dumping site for murder victims and could be holding more human remains.
Remulla said they may seek the help of forensic criminologist to conduct an investigation on the corpse.
Citing initial investigation reports, Remulla said the body was possibly inmate Michael Angelo Cartoja who has been missing since last July 15.
“The missing PDL (person deprived of liberty) has been found. He’s dead, decapitated. That’s the status of the missing PDL. And there will be other revelations in the next few days,” Remulla told reporters.
According to him, the incident was related to the recurrent killings inside the NBP before the watch of BuCor chief director general Gerald Catapang.
The Justice Secretary said they could not yet pinpoint culpability for the horrendous incident.
“Still all sketchy for the moment. Everything is still in the exploratory stage and we’re still trying to find out, trying to get to the bottom of everything,” Remulla explained.
He said a comprehensive report from Catapang is expected “at the end of the day.”
“They’re investigating. We will investigate this incident. I’m expecting a comprehensive report at the end of the day from director general Catapang,” he said.
BuCor deputy director for operations Angelina Bautista said K9 units from the Philippine Coast Guard detected the body on Tuesday while they were conducting search operations for the missing prisoner.
“Today, we will retrieve what the K9 units detected,” Bautista said, adding that the body was not visible from the outside.
“No. You can’t see it because we think it had been chopped,” the BuCor official said.
Bautista also said that they were still confirming a tip from an inmate, that there is more than just one body inside the septic tank.
“We were able to trace this because of information from the PDLs that this was really a burial site,” Bautista said.
“There was information that this was a mass grave. So I concentrated there,” Bautista added.
A shooting incident involving members of Batang City Jail and Bahala Na Gang took place at the Quadrant 3 of the south area of the maximum security compound on Tuesday.
Nine prisoners were hurt in the melee while another inmate died due to knife wounds.
Authorities were still investigating if the incidents are related.
Six of the injured were taken to the NBP hospital and three to the Muntinlupa Hospital.
In a subsequent clearing operation, BuCor officials found a caliber 45 pistol. They were still unclear if the confiscated weapon was the one used during the shooting.
Bautista said the BuCor has yet to determine how many human remains were dumped into the septic tank, and if they indeed belonged to the missing inmates.
“The missing PDL has been found dead and decapitated,” Remulla said.
He said investigation is ongoing on the septic tank discovery.
He also said the investigation was expected to reveal how long the dumping of dead bodies at the septic tank has been taking place.
Authorities are investigating the shooting incident happened inside the NBP that left two dead and nine wounded.
Responding members of the Base Security Command and BuCor – Special Weapons and Tactics pacified the warring gangs and stopped the melee.
Some of the victims were rushed to Muntinlupa Hospital while other are now being treated at the NBP hospital.
A .45-cal pistol was found at the crime scene after the incident.
The Bureau of Corrections is now investigating the incident while the Scene of the Crime Operations Team and SWAT Muntinlupa City Police station were alerted in the event the agency needs assistance.
In October 2020, nine inmates were killed while seven others were injured during a riot between two rival gangs at the NBP.
The riot broke out inside the NBP’s East Maximum Security Compound.
Six of the fatalities were members of the Sigue-Sigue Sputnik Gang, while two others were from its rival gang Sigue-Sigue Commando, and the other one from an unidentified group.