ICYMI: Officials of the DOJ said they were unaware of the excavation that was going on inside the New Bilibid Prison reservation until it was exposed by the officer in charge of the Bureau of Corrections last week.
BuCor is an agency under the DOJ. It has complete control and supervision over the sprawling reservation.
The excavation covered an area of around 4 hectares formerly covered with trees. The deepest part was about 30 meters, equivalent in height to a nine-story building. Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano, the department’s spokesperson, said they were not aware of the excavation prior to its discovery by Catapang.“Not at all,” he told the Inquirer. “We were all surprised to see pictures and videos.”According to Catapang, part of the excavation was an unfinished “tunnel,” which was around 170 centimeters high at the entrance. He said the tunnel could extend to Muntinlupa’s Poblacion River, and might be an escape route for inmates.
He also dismissed allegations that it could be used by inmates to escape, saying that it was “very far” from their location.The deepest diving pool in Metro Manila is currently the 6-meter indoor pool at Scuba Studio in San Juan City. The world’s deepest is 60 meters at Deep Dive Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.A master scuba diver trainer, who requested anonymity, said Bantag’s statement that the excavation was meant for a diving pool was “nonsense.
“They were told not to go near the ongoing quarrying or excavation. They also needed to leave their communication devices at the guard house before they entered the director’s quarters,” Catapang said.
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