12000 contraband items, including illegal drugs, mobile phones, weapons and alcohol, were found in the new Billy Bide prison in the Philippines!

According to Philippine media reports, on November 2, prisoners in the Philippine New Bilibed Prison handed over about 12000 pieces of contraband, including illegal drugs, mobile phones, weapons and alcohol.

Items handed over by prisoners to the Correctional Services Department (BuCor) also included laptops, gambling materials, cigarettes and about 7500 cans of beer.

BuCor chief Gregory Catapang Jr., citing information from inmates, said every can of beer was smuggled into the maximum security compound of the state prison for P1,000.

"This is the first time so many contraband have been found from New Bilibed Prison and it appears that a truck was needed to deliver them."

Several people were labeled at the time of delivery. He said he could not be named because of an ongoing investigation and that some officials would be relieved of their duties over the incident.

Following the suspension of BuCor chief executive Gerald Bantag, Katabang was designated as a competent official to give way to an investigation into the death of an inmate at New Bilibede Prison who allegedly acted as a go-between in the death of a journalist Percival Mabasa, also known as Percy Lapid.

According to the gunman Joel Escorial told reporters that he shot and killed Marbasa on the orders of someone in Bilbyd, and the prisoner Junviramore died a few hours later. Escorial did not name the mastermind and motive of the murder, but he confirmed that Villamore was the go-between in the murder plot.

A second independent autopsy on Villamore recently concluded he died of asphyxiation in a plastic bag, and traces of drugs were also found in his body.