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Criminal rap filed vs. Negros guard over jail ‘drug trade’
Criminal charges have been filed against the jail guard of the Negros Oriental Detention and Rehabilitation Center (NODRC) for his alleged involvement in illegal drugs, a week after more than P800,000 worth of shabu was seized in a raid there.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Negros Oriental head Johnna Mirador said that the jail guard, whose identity the agency has still withheld, was charged on June 25 with violating Section 11 of the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (Republic Act 9165).
If proven guilty, the guard may face life imprisonment and be slapped with a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10,000,000.
This was after a plastic bottle with confirmed traces of shabu was seized inside his makeshift quarters during the surprise raid dubbed "Operation Greyhound" on June 21.
The guard, according to the PDEA report, was allegedly protecting a number of inmates at the NODRC who were involved in the "drug trade" inside the prison facility.
However, despite all this, he turned out negative in a drug test conducted by the Negros Oriental Provincial Crime Laboratory right after the raid, along with the other guards and NODRC employees.
For his part, NODRC warden Louie Rastica said that the jail guard has been relieved from his post and has since returned to his former position at the Capitol's General Services Office.
The jail guard will still be further probed and questioned before administrative charges can be filed against him. Rastica said this is part of the due process that the Capitol gives to its employees with alleged anomalies.
Meanwhile, additional charges will not be filed against the six NODRC inmates under the PDEA watchlist who tested positive for illegal drugs, Mirador said.
"Ipagpapatuloy na lang ang pagre-rehabilitate sa kanila, para mawala na rin ang droga sa loob ng Provincial Jail," Mirador said in a phone interview.
'Not aware'
In an interview last week, relieved NODRC warden Franklin Culanag said that in his two years of working at the facility, he was “not aware” of any illegal drug activity in the jail.
He added that while he was “saddened” over the recovery of drugs inside the jail facility, he maintained that his “conscience was clear” and he was not jail warden anymore when the raid was carried out.
Culanag noted that he did hear “rumors” of a drug trade inside the NODRC; however, he could not act upon these because the reports were unverified.
“Kung kabalo ra man gud ko nga naay drugas sa sulod, di man nako na tugtan. Ako man gyud nang ipa-raid dayon. Pero unsaon man pagpa-raid nga wala man tay ebidensya?” he said.
(If I only knew about the drugs inside the jail, I wouldn’t have allowed it. I would have the jail raided as soon as possible. But how could I have it raided when I don’t have enough evidence to do so?)
Culanag was relieved from his post as warden by Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo effective June 8, or 13 days before the surprise jail inspection. He is now with the Provincial Attorney’s Office.
In his letter to Culanag, Degamo stated that the relief was “in view of the recent reported irregularities in the management of the jail.”
Culanag, however, did not elaborate what these irregularities were.
Asked for comment on Culanag’s statements, Mirador said that they have been receiving reports about the alleged drug trade inside the NODRC as early as April this year.
“May mga plano na kami to conduct a raid during the end of April, pero na-postpone kasi kulang kami ng tao. So we had to collaborate with other agencies before we carried out the operation last June,” she said. —KBK, GMA News
