The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) posted a record of 68 jails certified as drug-free facility by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
This came after the management review on the performance of regions in the antidrug campaigns.
“Tuloy-tuloy ito, hindi kami titigil sa paglilinis ng mga jails na nasa aming pamamahala [This will be a continuous drive until we accomplish a total cleanup],” said BJMP Chief Jail Director Deogracias Tapayan after commending the top-performing regions in the bureau’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Topping the list is BJMP Regional Office 1 with 17 jails certified as drug-free during the Oplan Linis Piitan conducted in partnership with the PDEA and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The Drug-Free Certification Program is a pioneering project of the BJMP to counter illegal-drugs operations in jails with the support of friendly forces from the uniformed service and the PDEA as the certifying agency.
“You can be certified as drug-free if no illegal drugs were found in your jails during series of Greyhound Operations and, of course, that has to be validated by members of the intelligence groups composed of the PDEA, PNP and other allied forces,” Tapayan said.
“If malinis ang jail mo [If a jail has been found drug-free] and the technical working groups are convinced based on records and intelligence reports, then that is the only time you will be certified by PDEA as drug- free,” Tapayan added.
To be certified as drug-free, the jail must also show consistent efforts on anti-illegal-drugs campaigns in their respective communities, on top of basic requirements that the facility is clean from any illegal drugs.
Another requirement is the conduct of random drug testing among inmates and personnel, including the warden of the facility.
“We have 481 facilities nationwide. It’s a long way to go…,” Tapayan said.
DILG Officer-in-Charge Undersecretary Eduardo Año reiterated the antidrug campaign of the national government during his initial talks with BJMP top officials.