SEVERAL contraband items were seized by authorities inside the cells of the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ)–Male Dormitory in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City on September 1, 2025.
The greyhound operation was conducted by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)–Negros Island Region (NIR).
Jail Senior Inspector Juniven Rey Umadhay, spokesperson of the BJMP-NIR, said they had intelligence reports and verified information indicating that persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at NODJ were in possession of unauthorized items, including smartphones.
“We conducted the operation to flush out contraband inside the jail facility,” he said.
Operatives recovered from the inmates’ possession improvised weapons, heated equipment, pointed steel bars, and improvised bats that could potentially be used as deadly weapons.
Umadhay said the operation concluded with no untoward incidents recorded and was marked by the full cooperation of the PDLs.
“Everyone remained safe throughout the activity, ensuring the welfare of both personnel and those deprived of liberty,” Umadhay said.
Umadhay said the greyhound operations are part of its continuing campaign to ensure safety, discipline, and security inside jail facilities.
By eliminating contraband, Umadhay said the Bureau aims to prevent violence, safeguard PDLs, and maintain an orderly environment within its jurisdiction.
“The Bureau assures the public that it remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold its mandate of safe, secure, and humane safekeeping of PDLs, while strengthening efforts against the entry of prohibited items inside detention facilities,” he said. (MAP)