By Antonio Colina IV
DAVAO CITY – A “no contact” policy between visitors and inmates at the Davao City Jail in Ma-a will be implemented soon, following the Oplan Greyhound last May 23 that yielded two sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia, and an assortment of deadly weapons, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Region 11 (BJMP 11) spokesperson Jail Insp. Edo Lobenia said.
Lobenia said they were planning the implement the rule soon in order to prevent visitors from spiriting contraband into the jail facility.
He said the BJMP 11 has created the blueprint for a receiving area where visitors will be separated by a glass wall from the inmates. The two sides will be able to communicate only through the telephones provided from both sides.
Lobenia said he was not aware of the timeline of the project, but added they wanted it to start immediately.
The official estimated more than 300 visitors at the city jail during the visiting hours from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily.
“We need to implement the policy. The BJMP is doing this with the local government of Davao and, at the same time, the national office to establish rules and regulations for the visitors,” he said.
He added the “no contact” policy was a suggestion from the City Government of Davao after an ordinance was passed last year banning illegal items inside the jail facility.
Personnel from Police Regional Office 11 (PRO 11), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, DCPO, Regional Mobile Force Battalion, Philippine Drugs and Enforcement Agency, and Criminal Investigation and Detection Group conducted a joint operation last Saturday to clear the jail facility of illegal drugs.
However, four inmates resisted attempts to search their cell, resulting in a bloody encounter. All four were slain in the encounter with authorities.