A PACKAGE containing a homemade .45 caliber pistol with a magazine loaded with seven live bullets was thrown over the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) male dormitory in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, Negros Occidental on Sunday, Aug. 24. (BJMP-NIR)
BACOLOD CITY – The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Negros Island Region has reinforced security at the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, after a gun was thrown over wall of the facility on Sunday, Aug. 24.
In a statement released Tuesday, Aug. 26, Jail Chief Supt. Brendan Fulgencio, BJMP-NIR director, directed jail personnel to heighten safety protocols at the male dormitory while investigation is ongoing to identify the perpetrators.
Fulgencio said that they are certain this deliberate act of smuggling a firearm was intended to harm or kill jail officers or Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs).
“This I will not allow in my watch,” he added.
A jail officer was conducting a routine inspection heard a sound and found a package wrapped in packaging tape. Inside was a homemade .45 caliber pistol with a magazine loaded with seven live bullets.
“This kind of firearm is just as deadly as a licensed one,” said Jail Senior Insp. Juniven Rey Umadhay, BJMP-NIR spokesperson, emphasizing the seriousness of the threat.
Despite having several closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras inside the jail primarily intended to monitor PDL activities, Umadhay admitted a gap in external surveillance.
The outdoor cameras were not functional at the time and failed to capture the individuals behind the incident, he said.
This development follows a prior attack just a month ago, when unidentified assailants attempted to kill a jail officer outside the facility while he was washing his vehicle.
Authorities suspect the recent rise in security measures has triggered retaliatory actions, particularly as the jail houses high-profile detainees with drug-related cases.
In response, BJMP-NIR has ramped up protective measures, including arming tower personnel with long firearms and bulletproof vests and helmets. Personnel have also been instructed to remain on high alert.
While visitation remains allowed for families, loved ones, and legal representatives, stricter identification checks are now being enforced.
BJMP-NIR reiterated its commitment to transparent governance and humane treatment of inmates in line with the Mandela Rules, while continuing to implement stringent security measures to ensure the safety and rehabilitation of all individuals within its facilities.