Jail guard supplying inmates with cigarettes

THE Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) 11 is closely monitoring its personnel and staff after a jail guard was found to have transactions with inmates inside the Davao City Jail in Maa last month.

Jail Senior Inspector Roberto Gotico, head of the BJMP-Davao Personnel Records and Management Division (PRMD) and Human Resources Division, however, refused to name the jail guard as the incident is still under investigation.

Gotico said the jail guard, whose rank is Jail Officer 1 (JO1), was already relieved from his post and was transferred to another jail in a province here in the region. He added that the officer, reportedly, has a debt from an inmate.

"We found out that he allowed other visitors to bring roll-ups inside the jail for these particular inmates to sell them. As we all know, roll-ups or cigarettes are considered contraband, which means pinagbabawal ito sa loob," Gotico said.

He added that the bureau learned the transaction after an inmate complained that the officer has not paid his debts. Gotico admitted that their staff is having difficulty in getting all the facts they

needed as some inmates will not speak.

"Ayaw magsalita ng ibang inmates—yung iba pinagtatakpan nila yung mga kasama nila at kung sino pa yung involved, yung iba takot mapa-sama, or talagang wala silang alam sa kalakaran. Ganun pa man nakabantay na kami," he said.

When asked whether there are illegal drugs proliferating inside the jail, Gotico claimed that the Davao City Jail is drug free. He said only cigarettes, playing cards, and some improvised weapons were usually found and confiscated inside.

Gotico said the bureau has already strengthened their greyhound inspection with members of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea) in Davao Region.

The BJMP, Gotico said, will not tolerate any illegalities inside the city jail and other jail facilities under the bureau here in the region. He added that any personnel who will be caught having transaction to inmates will face consequences. ICT