Two officials of the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro have been relieved of their posts following an attempt to smuggle into the facility prohibited goods that included liquor and tobacco products, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said on Thursday, July 10.

Relieved of their posts were SPPF camp commander C/CInsp. Francisco Madrid and CT/Insp. Edgar Laudencia, Bucor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said.

Madrid and Laudencia are now at the Directorate for Personnel and Human Resource Development at the BuCor’s national headquarters in Muntinlupa City for further investigation, Catapang said.

He said a thorough investigation is being conducted to determine if other personnel are involved in the smuggling attempt.

The BuCor said that Catapang received a report from SPPF Acting Superintendent CCInsp. Abel Ciruela that a dump truck was recently discovered inside the prison facility carrying contraband that included 213 bottles of one liter of Ginebra San Miguel, 48 bottles of 700 milliliters of Ginebra San Miguel, 16 bottles of one liter of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, two bottles of 700 milliliters of Jack Daniel’s Whiskey, 30 reams of Marlboro cigarettes with 10 packs per ream, 69 reams of tobacco with 10 packs per ream, 10 packs of tobacco with six bricks per pack, and 37 sticks of tobacco.

Based on the report, the BuCor said that a dump truck which carried gravel and sand was first spotted suspiciously parked outside the perimeter of the SPPF Hospital.

It said that prison officers approached the dump truck and started questioning the driver identified as Rob Antaran who claimed he had a permit signed by Madrid allowing him to deliver the materials inside the facility.

With Antaran’s disclosure, BuCor said that SPPF’s security team instructed him to proceed to the designated unloading area.

However, it said that upon arrival at the unloading area, Antaran refused to unload the gravel and sand citing a malfunction of the truck’s hydraulic system.

Due to Antaran’s persistent refusal, it also said that he was brought to the visiting area for questioning. Antaran admitted that also loaded in the truck were contrabands, it added.

As an aftermath of the SPPF incident, the BuCor said that Catapang instructed all superintendents of operating prisons and penal farms (OPPFs) to undertake a comprehensive review of their existing protocols related to the management and inspection of deliveries.

It said that OPPF superintendents were also ordered to implement stricter guidelines for vehicle checks and entry permits, and to conduct unannounced inspections to mitigate the risk of future smuggling attempts.