EXPECT a tighter clampdown on illegal activities inside detention centers as the Cebu City Council approved two ordinances strengthening security at Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-manned jail facilities.
The measures target both long-standing contraband smuggling and the growing use of drones to deliver prohibited items.
Authored by Councilor Phillip Zafra and passed on Dec. 9, 2025, the first ordinance imposes stiffer penalties on individuals caught bringing contraband into city jails, while the second declares a 100-meter no-fly zone near detention facilities to prohibit drone operations.
Zafra said the ordinances are expected to disrupt two major supply routes of prohibited items: direct smuggling by visitors or accomplices and aerial drops using drones.
There are at least 6,000 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) incarcerated in three BJMP-run jails in Cebu City. Of the number, around 4,400 are in the Cebu City Jail Male Dormitory.
In a position paper, the BJMP said cellphones and other gadgets have been identified as the most commonly-seized contraband believed to facilitate criminal activity outside the jails’ walls.
The illegal entry of these goods threatens the security of the facilities and disrupts the effective implementation of rehabilitation and reformation goals, the BJMP said.
Under Cebu City’s new anti-contraband ordinance, items such as illegal drugs and deadly weapons will be penalized alongside prohibited but otherwise legal items such as mobile phones, liquor, cigarettes, lighters, excess cash, jewelry and sharp objects.
Penalties range from P1,500, 3,000 to P5,000 depending on the number of offenses. If confiscated items are illegal drugs or cellular phones, the maximum penalty (fine, imprisonment, or both depending on the courts) will be imposed even for the first offense.
If the entry of the contraband was facilitated by or in conspiracy with jail personnel, the maximum penalty will be imposed even for the first offense to discourage jail staff from colluding with PDLs or their visitors.
Meanwhile, the second ordinance is in response to security incidents involving drones used to transport illegal drugs into jails.
By banning drone operations within 100 meters of BJMP facilities, city officials aim to prevent aerial deliveries, unwarranted surveillance and monitoring and improve perimeter control.
Jail authorities have observed an alarming rise in drones, often equipped with high-resolution cameras and payload capabilities, navigating the airspace around correctional facilities or hovering deliberately close by.
Past incidents reportedly confirm this threat, including the interception of drones carrying illegal drugs near jail facilities.
Violators face fines such as P2,000 to P5,000 for repeat offenders, possible jail time and confiscation of the drone.
Exemptions to the 100-meter no-fly zone are limited to law enforcement, emergency responders and authorized operators with permits from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) and the Cebu City Government.
The CAAP has supported the measure, saying national aviation rules already restrict drone flights over security-sensitive facilities and the local ordinance strengthens on-the-ground enforcement. / EHP