The death toll from the riot that erupted in the New Bilibid Prison on Monday is now at four prisoners, while 64 others were wounded, the Bureau of Corrections said Tuesday.
Twenty of the injured inmates, none in critical condition, were referred outside hospitals while the rest were sent back to their cells, according to BuCor spokesman Gabriel Chaclag.
The fight might have erupted due to the prisoners’ restlessness after months without visitation rights, Chaclag said.
Last month, nine inmates were killed and seven others were wounded in a riot between “Sputnik” and “Commando” gangs at the east quadrant of the New Bilibid Prison’s maximum security compound.
BuCor Chief Gerald Bantag allowed reformation activities to resume three days ago, Chaclag said. Inmates were also allowed to receive electronic visits and given phone call privileges, he added.
Meanwhile, the number of inmates who died in Monday’s riot had climbed to four, the Department of Justice said Tuesday.
Undersecretary Emmeline Aglipay-Villar said inmates were currently not allowed to leave their dorms.
“Only orderlies are allowed to roam,” she said in a message to reporters.
Authorities originally confirmed three casualties and 64 injured inmates in another round of violence between the Sputnik and Commando gangs on Monday morning, exactly one month after a riot between the same two gangs killed nine inmates.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has ordered an investigation into the riots that will include a look into whether there was negligence on the part of corrections officials.
Visits to Philippine prisons have been suspended for months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Still, the situation inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City is back to normal following Monday’s scuffle that left four inmates dead, the Department of Justice said on Tuesday.
In a message to newsmen, Justice Undersecretary and spokesperson Emmeline Aglipay-Villar identified the fatalities in the riot as Ace Pempena, Calvin Tan, Edgar Publico and Jonathan Rodriguez.
Aglipay-Villar said at the moment, the PDLs in Muntinlupa were not allowed to leave their dorms and only orderlies or inmates assisting jail nurses were allowed to roam.
“Visits have been suspended even prior to the riot because of Covid-19,” Villar said.
Around 8 a.m. Monday, the scuffle occurred at the NBP’s Maximum Security Compound, prompting a response from personnel of the Bureau of Corrections, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Philippine National Police.
BuCor personnel who were at their offices during the incident were ordered to evacuate the National Headquarters immediately to ensure that no injuries will be inflicted on them, the DOJ said.
Penal colonies were also advised to be on red alert to ensure peace and order within their areas of responsibility.