P100M worth signal jammers eyed for the New Bilibid Prison

As part of efforts to implement stricter security measures at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), P100-million worth signal jammers will be installed inside the compound.

This came after Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II made a pronouncement that there was a "resurgence" of the illegal drug trade inside the prison facility.

In a report by Emil Sumangil on "24 Oras" on Friday, Bureau of Corrections Director General Benjamin delos Santos denied the accusation of Aguirre and revealed that P100 million worth of state-of-the-art signal jammers from Israel.

"Hindi lang siya jammer, pwede niyang tukuyin kung nasan 'yung teleponong ginagamit, mga previous text messages etc., nare-record 'yon," delos Santos said.

There are still incidents in which inmates are able to sneak in contraband items inside the prison facility.

Last June 25, authorities conducted a raid in the jail cell of convicted carnapper Raymond Dominguez and recovered a cellphone.

A prisoner, however, admitted that he owned the confiscated cellphone.

"Nagiging active na naman siya sa Central Luzon, so para lang masiguro na talagang malinis 'yung kanyang kubol, pina-raid natin, wala naman nakuhang kontrabando pero merong cellphone at fino-forensic natin ngayon baka sakaling may makuha tayong intelligence value," delos Santos said.

Inmates have been known to pour salt on surveillance equipment at the facility, so officials made sure the equipment would be protected.

The signal jammers that would be installed in various parts of the prison facility are placed inside vandal-proof cabinets.

Authorities are also planning to have roving jammers that would be worn by jail guards like backpacks as they do their rounds within the prison grounds. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BAP, GMA News