Priest sanctioned for unwittingly bringing biscuits with cigarettes into Bohol jail
TAGBILARAN CITY – A priest who had unwittingly brought in biscuits with contraband products hidden in the box into the Bohol District Jail last Sunday has been banned from saying mass inside the jail facility.
The priest, Fr. James Darunday had said mass to the inmates last Sunday. He allegedly brought with him a box of biscuits which when inspected by the guards was found to have cigarettes and tobacco leaves hidden under the cookies.
Yesterday, Tuesday, BDJ warden Chief Insp. Felipe Montejo gave a sanction to the priest, banning him from saying Mass inside the jail facility.
The 400-capacity jail complex in barangay Cabawan, now accommodates 949 inmates.
Montejo said tobacco and tobacco cigarettes are considered nuisance contraband, which is not allowed inside the jail facility.
A wife of an inmate had allegedly asked Darunday, who was scheduled to say Mass in the jail, to bring in a box of biscuits.
The priest said he was going to let the guards inspect the box, but the inmate’s wife said there was no need for that.
But the priest allowed the guards to inspect the box, while he went on to say Mass.
About 50 packs of tobacco cigarettes and 90 pieces of packed tobacco leaves were found at the bottom portion of the box.
The priest said he was merely bringing the box of biscuits into the jail at the request of the inmate’s wife, who used to be one of his parishioners in Catigbian town.
Last week, the BDJ also hugged the headlines after packets of suspected shabu was found in a cell, during a surprise inspection led by the local office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
The packets were found in Cell No. 17, housing 38 inmates.
As of press time, no one among those occupying the cell admitted to be the owner of the packets of suspected shabu.
Montejo said the investigation is still on going to determine the owner of the suspected shabu packets, as the jail management will be revisiting the inspection procedures to prevent the entry of suspected shabu contraband into the jail.