Many netizens have reacted to a series of photos of Corrections Bureau in the Philippines’ New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City destroying gadgets, suggesting it can be used by students come August 24 for the distance learning.
The personnel of Customs and the Philippine National Police personnel wrecked a total of 3,817 mobile phones, 101 pocket wifi units, 41 tablets, and seven laptops.
In the photos, the officers are seen smashing the gadgets and running over by an excavator.
Also destroyed were over 2,072 tobacco bars, 1,014 hand-rolled cigarettes, and 98 cigarette sticks and countless bladed weapons.
The personnel also destroyed 29 mobile phone signal boosters, 11 power banks, four smartwatches, seven digital weighing scales, two defective digital cameras, eight units of PlayStation Portables, and 12 DVD players.
The gadgets that were confiscated were from 2015 to November 2019 from both inmates and visitors.
“Wala po tayong exact estimate dahil iba iba naman po yung brand tsaka medyo may kalumaan na rin yung iba. Pero, and importante po dito ay yung estimate ng destruction na kanyang ginagawa pag ginamit ito sa illegal transaction sa labas,” Corrections Spokesperson Gabriel Chaclag.
Several netizens have reacted, saying that it could have been used by students for online learning.
EARLIER: The Bureau of Corrections destroys several items confiscated inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City | @cnnphilippines pic.twitter.com/6ZpZyVZmYl
— Paolo Barcelon (@pnbarcelonlive) August 13, 2020
We’re doing a donation drive so that students can get old gadgets para sa pasukan tapos sisirain nyo lang yang mga yan. And hindi lang kami toh andami rin nangangailangan. Napakadali lang naman mag reset ng gadget. This is insensitive and wasteful. pic.twitter.com/uYuDgmk1S0
— Gideon (@gidsdelloro) August 13, 2020
Do they always do this? It's kinda insensitive for those that are raising funds for gadgets for online learning. Also, showing that they missed these much items inside shows incompetence.?
— #CourageON #DefendPressFreedom (@coffeejali) August 13, 2020