Main Philippine Prison Scene of Second Deadly Riot in a Month

A riot by rival gangs in the Philippines’ main prison left three inmates dead and dozens injured before it was contained on Monday, exactly one month after nine were killed during violence between the same groups, officials said.

Monday’s “free-for-all scuffle” erupted during the morning between the Commando and Sputnik gangs in the maximum-security compound at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, a suburb of Manila, the Philippine Bureau of Corrections said in a statement. The latest riot was quelled within a few hours after police commandos were sent in to help prison guards contain the violence, authorities said.

“Three PDL were declared dead on arrival at the NBP hospital and 64 PDL sustained injuries,” the bureau said, using an acronym to refer to inmates as “persons deprived of liberty.”

Some staff “sustained minor injuries while suppressing the commotion,” the bureau said. The facility “is back to normal operations as of this time and everything is under control.”

Six of those injured were rushed to a hospital outside of the compound. The extent of their injuries was not disclosed, but the bureau said “relatives of the victims will be notified.”

Prison personnel, backed by police commandos were deployed to quell the violence, the bureau said, adding it had to evacuate all personnel as the violence increased. Commandos, in full combat gear and toting high-powered rifles, patrolled the tightly packed compound.

Photos provided by the bureau showed confiscated crude weapons, including shanks and improvised darts. Officers were seen questioning two shirtless men in handcuffs.

29,000 inmates

The Bilibid prison is designed for about 6,400 inmates, although the facility holds about 29,000.

The prison houses the country’s most notorious convicts and is reputed as being among the world’s toughest prisons.

On Oct. 9, the same gangs were involved in the riot that killed nine inmates.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he was ordering probes into Monday’s riot.

“I have directed the BuCor to submit a detailed report ASAP,” Guevarra said in a statement, referring to the bureau. “I will direct the NBI [National Bureau of Investigation] to conduct a parallel investigation or expand its ongoing probe into the previous violence.”