On Monday morning, a surprise inspection by authorities led by Philippine Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima revealed that several high-profile inmates at the main insular penitentiary of the Bureau of Corrections, or the New Bilibid Prison, in Muntinlupa City are living the privileged life inside their special detention areas. According to ABS-CBN, who accompanied the authorities during the inspection, the discovery so overwhelmed de Lima that she had to sit down, presumably to process what she had just seen.
What New Bilibid Prison Looks Like Inside
According to a photo documentary by Gerhard Jörén, prison cells inside Bilibid are dingy, dark and cramped because of overcrowding. Some of the 23,000 inmates in New Bilibid have either hospital and bunk beds that look worse for wear, with the trusty banigs or thin kumots as bedsheets under hardwood planks. Some of the cells have cement floors that have long been cast off by time.
The fortunate ones, however, managed to get assigned to new facilities that have tiled floors and new bunk beds with mattresses thanks to reasonable upgrades done by the Bureau of Corrections in the past several years.
But the more privileged ones get to have bigger detention spaces with all the luxurious trappings they have enjoyed before prison. It was observed during the raid, even by de Lima, that the detention spaces, or kubols, looked like any high-end, plush condominium offered in the real estate market today. Robbery gang leader Herbert Colanggo, whose cell was raided during the inspection, confirmed on record that the occupants got approval from prison management to make improvements to their kubols as “special requests.”
‘Live like kings’ inside prison
The following are the 6 luxury home improvements found inside the kubols that stood out from the raid:
1. Sauna Room
What is luxury without your very own sauna facility? Drug Lord Peter Co’s kubol was equipped with this amenity. Maybe running a drug cartel literally under the authorities’ noses is exhausting?
2. Music Studio
Colanggo’s kubol has an area reserved for what appeared to be his in-house music studio. The studio was equipped obviously to fulfill Colanggo’s musical aspirations. Authorities even spotted framed photos of him posing for what are apparently several of his album covers. He even has his own YouTube channel that features some of his singles. His single, “Pa’no Yon”, apparently was filmed in Colanggo’s music studio in New Bilibid.
3. Strip Bar
One kubol was found to have been fashioned into a red light district haven. A life-sex doll was discovered on the occupant’s bed, while the adjacent room was decked like a strip bar along with party lights and a performance platform. According to police, the room was used for strippers who were smuggled into Bilibid to “perform” and provide “services” for the occupant.
4. Entertainment Area
Almost all of the kubols had entertainment systems that feature flat-screen television sets. The biggest television found during the raid was a 50-inch TV. The raid was also able to seize a PlayStation game console set, TV antennas, TV wires and electric cables.
5. Plush Offices
The amount of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu and drug paraphernalia found during the raid confirmed initial reports that a large-scale drug syndicate has been operating from inside New Bilibid. Naturally, running an illegal business like a drug cartel will compel the inmates to have private offices installed in their kubols. Communication devices that have long been banned by prison management were seized in the detention spaces. It was also noted in a GMA news report online that notebooks, calling cards, and records were filed in air conditioned private offices decked with expensive furniture. Co even had a secret pathway built leading to his kubol, purportedly to keep authorities from discovering his illegal transactions.
6. Organized Compartments
A decent-sized kubol is said to be the same as the size of a condominium studio unit. In order for the inmates to “live like kings” inside their kubols, these individuals resort to storing their stuff in organizers or compartments. One kubol was found to have a secret compartment for the occupant’s pairs of branded shoes. Toiletries inside hotel-like bathrooms (with one equipped with a jacuzzi), and grocery items in cupboards were found to be imported. When opened, several safety deposit boxes seized at the raid contained valuables like Philip Patek and Rolex watches.
If money is no object, what luxury home improvement would you like to have in your home? Leave your answer as a comment below.
