World War II

Prisoners of war at the New Bilibid and Luzon POW Camp Number 1

Upon the outbreak of World War II in the Philippines on December 8, 1941 (Manila Time), the Philippine government rounded up all Japanese "enemy aliens" and placed them in various camps. The 4,000 Japanese nationals living in Manila -- mostly businessmen and professionals -- were interned at the Old Bilibid prison and at the newly-constructed New Bilibid Prison.^[6] The prison leadership under Prisons Director Major Eriberto Misa was said to had given compassionate treatment to the internees, resulting in the latter's trust in Misa.^[7] On the other hand, the regular prisoners tried to contribute to the war effort by donating blood for the soldiers and pledging to fight the Japanese if it would be allowed by the government. However, the security risk this might pose^[8] prompted the government to decline such offer.

As the Japanese advanced towards Manila, the regular prisoners became troubled by the stories of brutalities done by the Imperial Japanese Army troops in their occupied areas. Thus, on December 27, 1941, the prisoners attempted a mass escape. The escapees burned two buildings in this attempt, and about 3,000 prisoners tried to climb the prison walls. The prison guards had to fire their guns into the air to deter the prisoners from attempting to escape. The following morning, the escape had been averted. The authorities accounted for all prisoners.^[9] Director Misa had to clarify to news outlets that escape attempts such as those never succeeded.^[10]

With the impending arrival of the Japanese in Muntinlupa, Misa had sent then-NBP Superintendent (later Director of Prisons) Alfredo Bunye and his son Guillermo Misa to meet the Japanese forces in advance and “talk them out of entering the New Bilibid Prisons.” He then waited at the prison gates for whatever fate the invaders would give them. When the Japanese arrived, they let Misa stay in his position and ordered him to free the Japanese interns inside the prison. They likewise asserted that Misa would be responsible for any jailbreak attempt that the prisoners would do^[11]

The Japanese converted the New Bilibid Prison into a prisoner-of-war camp for American and Filipino soldiers. Also imprisoned in the same facility were military offenders and captured guerrillas. Director Misa and the prison employees used their positions to secretly help the POWs by giving medical aid to the victims of torture and allowing their families to visit them and be given food and written letters. Later, some prison employees joined the guerrilla movement while continuing their work there. At the same time, Director Misa also asserted to the Japanese the provision of necessary supplies for the prisoners, the employees, and the civilian residents living within the prison reservation.^[12][13]

Director Misa's implicit support for the underground resistance movement encouraged the guerrillas to conduct operations within the prison premises. Initially, the guerrillas conducted intelligence activities inside the prison with the help of their comrades employed by Misa as prison guards.^[14] Then, on the wee hours of June 24-25, 1944, the Hunters ROTC guerrillas, personally led by Colonel Terry Adevoso, assaulted the prison and, without firing a gunshot, liberated 30 imprisoned guerrillas and hauled a large stash of weapons and ammunition.^[15] The Japanese wanted to execute Misa for this incident, but President Jose P. Laurel intervened by asserting that the Philippine government was already independent of Japan. He then dismissed Misa^[16] and replaced him with Colonel Elias Dequino,^[17] who was perceived as a pro-Japanese officer. The prison guards were also replaced by troopers from the Japanese-sponsored Bureau of Constabulary.^[18]

Months later, on the night of August 25, 1944, a massive jailbreak of the confined prisoners of war occurred in the prison, led by Lieutenant Colonel Quintin Gellidon of the Fil-American Irregular Troops (FAIT). As the POWs feigned to do a nighttime chorale practice led by Fr. Jaime Neri, the prison lights were turned off, and the escapees ran outside through the prison's southernmost gate, Gate 5. They ran in the direction of Paliparan, Dasmariñas, Cavite, where the Erni's Guerrillas fetched them.^[19] Sadly, ringleaders Alfonso de la Concepcion and Manuel Fruto were later captured by the Japanese and executed.^[20]

Following the Invasion of Lingayen Gulf, the guerrillas enlisted the cooperation of the prison's second in command, Major Adriano Valdez, in securing the welfare of the POWs. This enabled the guerrillas to assist their imprisoned comrades with material and moral assistance.^{[File No. 307-26, Box 499, NAID No. 1431783, RG 407 The Philippine Archives Collection. 1]} When the US 11th Airborne Division landed in south Luzon in late January 1945, the Japanese became restless and executed selected military prisoners by February 3, 1945. Prison physicians saved some POWs about to be executed by exchanging the names of the condemned with those who had recently died in prison.^[21][22] By February 5, 1945, the Japanese decided to retreat from the Prison and turned over their control to Dequino. On the same day, the guerrillas arrived in Bilibid and started to liberate the POWs inside. Dioquino was arrested for collaboration, and Valdez was appointed Acting Director. The Hunters ROTC Guerrillas and President Quezon's Own Guerrillas were subsequently stationed near the prison complex.^[23]

On February 6-7, 1945, the Japanese tried to retake the facility from the east. Learning about this, the guerrillas promptly engaged the Japanese, and killed several enemies.^[24] Once the New Bilibid Prison was secured, the prison leadership offered the NBP Infirmary to be used as a field hospital for wounded Filipino and American troops. Thus, it was used for such purpose for the rest of the war, with guerrilla women's auxiliaries serving as nurse aides. Weeks later, the American internees rescued from the Raid on Los Baños were brought to the prison to be given first aid and initial accounting.^[25] Misa was eventually reinstated as Prison Director and would hold the position until his death in 1949.^[26]

When the war ended, NBP became a POW camp for Japanese soldiers and accused collaborators. President Laurel and his cohorts were also brought to the New Bilibid Prison after their extradition from Sugamo Prison in 1946.^[27] The Japanese would be imprisoned inside the NBP until their release in 1953 following the executive clemency given by President Elpidio Quirino^[28].^[29][30]

Postwar era

From the end of World War II until 1953, Japanese war criminals were held within the prison, under Prison Superintendent Alfredo Bunye.^[31]

Martial Law era

The rise of the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos saw the establishment of the Sampaguita Rehabilitation Center - later named Camp Sampaguita - within the NBP compound. It served both as the headquarters of the 225th Philippine Constabulary Company, and also as a stockade for Political Prisoners.^[32] Sampaguita was the southernmost of four major clusters of concentration camps for political prisoners in the Greater Manila Area at the time, Sampaguita being the "S" in "A, B, C, and S" with the other letters representing Camps Aguinaldo ("A"), Bonifacio ("B"), and Crame ("C").^[33]

Contemporary history

On June 5, 2014, Department of Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, supervising official on the Bureau of Corrections and the NBP said that the National Penitentiary will be moved to Barangay San Isidro in Laur, Nueva Ecija.^[34][35]

In 2022, it was announced that there are plans to relocate the medium and maximum security prisons to Occidental Mindoro and the minimum security inmates to Fort Magsaysay, Nueva Ecija.^[36][37]

Death penalty

The execution chamber for inmates sentenced to death by electrocution was in Building 14, within the Maximum Security Compound. As of 2015, it is used to house maximum security prisoners. The former lethal injection chamber is now used as the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Museum.^[40] Seven men were executed by lethal injection between 1999 and 2000.

Gluckman wrote that the men's death row in Building One, was uncharacteristic of the rest of the prison: "The place reeks of gas burners, sewage, sweat and fear."^[39]

Recreational facilities

The prisoners pass the time in the basketball court in the penitentiary's gymnasium and are also engaged in the production of handicrafts. Various religious denominations are active in prison ministry, with Mass said daily in the prison's Roman Catholic chapel; a locale of the Iglesia Ni Cristo is also on the prison grounds. Religious groups, such as the Philippine Jesuit Prison Service, Caritas Manila, Seventh-day Adventist Church, and Amazing Grace Christian Ministries, also extend medical services to prisoners.^[41] Research participants agree that the use of inmate leaders is an integral component of prison management in the MSC. Inmates can either assume custodial, administrative, and rehabilitation functions.^[42]

Educational facilities

Educational facilities inside the compound provide elementary education, high school education, vocational training and adult literacy programs. It also provides a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce.^[41] The New Bilibid Prison also houses a talipapâ (small wet and flea market) where prisoners can buy daily commodities.^[43]

Katarungan Village

On September 5, 1991, President Corazon C. Aquino issued Presidential Proclamation No. 792,^[44] which was amended by Presidential Proclamation No. 120 on December 15, 1992,^[45] to the effect that 104.22 hectares (257.5 acres) of land be developed into housing for employees of the Department of Justice and other government agencies. This housing project is known as the Katarungan ("Justice") Village.^[46]