THE oversight committee, tasked to evaluate jail facilities, will officially declare the Davao City Jail Annex and Davao City Female Jail Dorm as drug-free facility on Wednesday, October 24.

Jail Inspector Edo Lobenia, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Davao spokesperson and chief community relations service officer, said on Tuesday, October 23, that after thorough assessment and validation, and after both jail facilities have complied the parameters, they are to be declared as drug-free jail facility.

The committee conducted evaluation for three consecutive months of greyhound operations by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

It had verification of drug personalities, drug testing, confirmatory search and seizure, and personnel attend symposiums on drug-free facility in accordance to the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) of the Memorandum of Agreement between BJMP and PDEA in declaring a drug-cleared and drug-free facility.

"It undergone rigid process from conducting greyhound operations and random drug testing among its PDL (Persons Deprived of Liberty) and personnel," Lobenia said.

Lobenia said their continued efforts to weed out illegal drugs inside the city jail and erase the notions that drugs are being cooked inside the jail is a manifestation of their commitment to the thrust of the government against illegal drugs.

The oversight committee is composed of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Local Government Unit, BJMP, and PDEA which is the chairman of the committee.

Expected guests during the activity are the regional directors of the oversight committee.

Likewise, on October 26, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the new jail facility in Davao City in Wangan Calinan.