Woman caught smuggling drugs into jail, using ‘Francis’
Jail guards caught a woman trying to bring ampules of Nubain, a painkiller that is also one of the country’s most abused drugs, into the men’s dormitory of the Cebu City Jail yesterday morning.
Mary Ann Labita, 45, allegedly hid the regulated drugs inside 20 pieces of bread, with one ampule embedded in each piece.
But a jail officer noticed some puncture marks on the bread (a type called “Francis”) and discovered the drugs when he split one piece open, said Deputy Jail Warden Senior Insp. Bryanroy Mercado.
At first, the woman denied bringing in the plastic bag with 20 pieces of bread inside, but later told authorities that it was her nephew’s idea to try smuggling Nubain inside the prison on what was expected to be a busy day, with lots of visitors. Labita said she was promised P1,000 in exchange.
Just two days shy of Valentine’s day, a woman was arrested when she tried to smuggle in ampules of Nubain tucked in pieces of bread in the male dormitory of the Cebu City Jail.
Mary Ann Labita, 45, brought with her a plastic full of Francis bread during a busy Sunday visit yesterday at 9:15 a.m. in the jail in Barangay Kalunasan.
“Our jail officer noticed that there were punctures in the bread so he opened one and found out that a Nubain was inserted. When he tore open the other pieces of bread, he discovered that all of them had Nubain inside,” Jail Senior Insp. Bryanroy Mercado, deputy jail warden of the male dormitory, said.
The plastic contained 20 pieces of bread with 19 Nubain ampules, but one ampule got broken.
Mercado said Labita probably thought that it would not get detected because of the heavy influx of visitors in the facility.
“She took advantage of the people who were eager to hand food to their loved ones in the jail and distanced herself away during the inspection,” he said.
But there were eyewitnesses who saw Labita bringing in the yellow plastic with the Francis bread.
Labita initially denied the contraband when she was invited for questioning.
Upon her request, her live-in partner, an inmate who is convicted for drug charges was called to meet her and Labita broke down.
“She cried so hard and finally admitted that it was hers. A nephew of another inmate who is jailed for drug charges allegedly asked her to deliver the bread in exchange for P1,000,” Mercado said.
They have already caught three persons who tried to bring in contraband this year but this is the first time that drugs were stashed in pieces of bread to be smuggled inside the city jail.
“Those persons who would try to attempt should just stop it because we will still catch them,” Mercado warned.
Inside the Guadalupe Police Station where she was detained, Labita cried, saying that her nine-yearold daughter was excited for the upcoming Valentine’s Day because she can finally meet his father who is serving time since 2014.
“Our Valentines will not be happy anymore because of this. My partner was angry and sad because of what happened,” Labita said.
Labita lamented that she only agreed to take the bread because of the money.
“My child has fever that never seems to go away and my partner has tuberculosis he acquired inside the jail. I only wash the laundry of my neighbors to earn money,” she said.
Another visitor was also caught with a small sachet of shabu in her jeans in the female dormitory two hours after Labita was arrested.
Mary Ann Estella Corporal, 29, went to see her mother, Estela, who was convicted for drugs, but yielded a small sachet of shabu at 11:30 a.m.
“During the conduct of a pat search, the small plastic was found in her pocket. She vehemently denied and claimed that she only borrowed the jeans from her friend,” Jail Senior Insp. Stephanny Salazar, officer-in-charge of the female dorm, said.
Corporal told jail officers that it was alum, locally known as “ta- was” and that the jeans were borrowed from a friend.
The Nubain and shabu were both forwarded to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) 7 laboratory.
Labita and Corporal will face charges for the violation of RA 9154 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Those persons who would try to attempt should just stop it because we will still catch them. DEPUTY JAIL WARDEN BRYANROY MERCADO