Paper found in CPDRC linked to drug trade

A document believed to be part of the illegal drug transactions was recovered from the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC).

A set of yellow pad papers containing handwritten names of people with contact numbers and amounts totaling to P2 million was among the items seized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-7 during yesterday's greyhound operation, the second for this month.

PDEA-7 Spokesperson Earl Rallos said the document is a proof that illegal drug activities are being monitored by an inmate or inmates.

“Naa may na-recover ang team nga document nga ang illegal transaction, although it's happening outside, somebody from inside the jail facility is giving the orders,” he said.

The team, however, refused to disclose the cell where the document was seized from pending further investigation.

Based on the document, Rallos said, there are no indications that CPDRC personnel are involved in the illegal drug trade inside the province-run jail facility.

“Amo pa ning imbestigahon kay dagko kaayo ang kantidad nga involved. Sa ilahang total diri, it amounted to more than P2 million sa ilang listahan,” he said.

Other confiscated items were 47 cellular phones, 33 phone batteries, sim cards, three sachets of suspected shabu, lighters, rolled tobacco sticks, improvised sealers, and rolled aluminum foil strips.

Rallos said it is possible that there are drug traders inside the jail who have contacts outside and continue to operate through cellular phones.

“Because some of the inmates have cellular phones, naa sila'y access. (The possibility is) ang boss naa sa sulod. No transaction within the facility but ang communication is inside,” he said.

CPDRC Task Force member Bobby Legaspi admitted that not the entire jail facility is covered by the signal jammers.

“Currently, our signal jammers are in but the inmates already know where they are,” he said.

He added that the province is using “lowpower” signal jammers because the high-powered ones will disrupt the signal outside the penitentiary.

According to Assistant Warden Audesti Miguel, CPDRC houses 3,600 inmates or more than double its supposed optimum capacity of 1,500.