GenSan jail personnel tested negative in surprise drug test

GENERAL SANTOS CITY--Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) personnel assigned at the city jail here have all tested negative for illegal drug use during the surprise tests conducted over the weekend by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 12.

Ma. Leslie Sharon Maquilang, acting PDEA-12 regional director, said Monday a total of 105 BJMP personnel underwent the drug tests Saturday morning as part of the joint “greyhound operation” at the BJMP-managed city jail, also named Lanton Reformatory Center in Barangay Apopong.

Maquilang said the tested BJMP workers comprised of 82 personnel assigned at the jail’s male dormitory and 23 at the female dormitory.

The mandatory drug tests were made through urine samples taken from the jail personnel, Maquilang said.

“All urine samples turned out negative for the presence of illegal drugs,” the PDEA-12 official said.

Aside from the jail guards, PDEA-12 also conducted random drug tests on 46 inmates but they too tested negative.

Jail Supt. Peter Bongat, city jail warden, said the negative results showed that their effort to make the facility drug-free has been gaining ground.

Bongat said it also addressed speculations regarding the alleged involvement of some city jail personnel in the illegal drug trade at the facility.

During the “greyhound operation,” he said joint the operatives did not find any illegal drug and other contrabands at the 48 cells that were subjected to thorough search.

But the operating teams, which were composed of personnel from the BJMP, PDEA-12 and the city police, recovered cellular phones and chargers, assorted sharp objects improvised utensils, scissors, electric wires, gambling cards and disposable lighters – which are all prohibited.

Bongat said some of these items were improvised utensils used by the inmates for various purposes.

The official said they maintained tight security measures at the jail to prevent the entry of illegal drugs and related contraband.

“We’re regularly conducting monthly surprise inspections in all our cells to check for any illegal item,” he said.

The surprise drug test on BJMP personnel was the second to be conducted by PDEA-12 since last week. (PNA)