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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Drug trade rampant at city jail
By Roberto L. Bacasong
BELIEVE it or not but 70 percent of illegal drug transactions in Bacolod City are reported to have been made inside the city jail, which is managed and controlled by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).
The remaining 30 percent are done by individuals who are still at-large and are being monitored by the police for their illegal drug activities.
Senior Police Officer 4 Ernesto Gonzales, officer-in-charge of the City Anti-Illegal Drugs - Special Operations Task Group (CAID-SOTG), made the startling revelation to Sun.Star Monday.
He claimed that the transactions are mostly done using a cellphone, a department store baggage counter and a bank.
The cellphone is reportedly used by an inmate to deal with his contacts outside.
When a buyer, for instance, wants drugs, these are delivered to a baggage counter after the buyer deposits his pay at a specified bank account.
When the deposit is confirmed, the claim tag is then given to the one who will reportedly pick the illegal drug.
But City Jail Warden Samson Abaygar was quick to deny the report saying an illegal drug transaction will never happen inside the jail.
"We are implementing a strict monitoring of the persons visiting their loved ones inside the jail," he said.
This is reportedly aside from disallowing the use of cellular phones by inmates.
Gonzales stood by his claim though, insisting that the transactions he cited are existent because Abaygar is not as strict as Chief Inspector Amelito Fuentes, the previous jail warden, in implementing the rules of the jail.
"Based on our intelligence report, big time drug pushers who are presently detained inside the city jail were able to make transactions (with their contacts) outside through the use of cellular phones," Gonzales stressed.
Those "pushers" reportedly include Ramon Bertudes and Mario Segovia who are jailed for drug-related offenses.
"There were so many different types of procedures in illegal drug transaction. That's why despite our campaign the proliferation of illegal drugs continue to prosper," Gonzales added.
The supply of drugs in the city reportedly come from Quezon, Cavite, Cebu and Dumaguete cities as well as from some areas in Mindanao island.
Abaygar belied the claim in a separate interview.
In the first place, he said, inmates are not allowed to use cellphones inside the jail.
"That has been raised by the CAID-SOTG since the previous administrations. We are doing our best to maintain peace and order inside the jail," he also said.
During his administration, Abaygar also pointed out, gambling and the bringing of liquor are not even allowed inside the detention facility.
As of Monday, the city jail has a total population of 558 inmates. Of these, 379 inmates are charged with RA 9165.
High cost
Gonzales said there is a scarcity in the supply of shabu in Bacolod City, resulting to a higher market cost for the banned substance.
Five grams of shabu will now reportedly cost P45,000.
Gonzales has classified barangays 2, 22, 27, 8 and Banago as being "seriously drug-affected areas" in the city.
He added that the efforts of his office are concentrated at Purok Sibucao in Banago as at least two families continue to deal the illegal drugs.
None of the family members have been arrested as the police reportedly get very little support from the residents in the area.
To illustrate his point, he showed a warrant of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court against a certain Rammy Pojo. However, the suspect cannot allegedly be arrested because of his "backers".
Penalty
Under the provisions of RA 9165, a penalty of life imprisonment to death by lethal injection and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million shall be imposed on anyone that deals illegal drugs in large quantities.
An imprisonment ranging from 12 years and one day to 20 years and a fine ranging from P100,000 to P500,000 may also be imposed on any person, who, unless authorized by law, shall import any controlled precursor and essential chemical.
(June 27, 2006 issue)
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