The National Capital Region Police Office begun investigating a report that some NCRPO police officers were involved in the murder of several high-profile inmates at the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP).

NCRPO director Maj. Gen. Felipe Natividad said Saturday they are looking into the report that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has filed eight counts of murder against the 22 police officers.

“I am still looking into that information. We are still checking it out,” he said in a phone interview.

Natividad said they have yet to obtain a copy of the NBI's complaint.

The NBI filed the cases after its investigators found out that several high-profile inmates accused of drug trafficking appear to have died of other causes and not from COVID-19 as NBP officials have reported to the public.

Natividad, in a statement shared by Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo, said they are willing to help to check if there is liability among the police officers.

Among the high-profile inmates who allegedly died of COVID-19 were drug convict Amin Imam Boratong and NBP drug lord Jaybee Nino Sebastian.

Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) spokesperson Assistant Secretary Gabriel Chaclag said it is better that “speculations” about the issue are discussed in court. DMS