No bail for city jail visitor with shabu

CEBU, Philippines – No bail was recommended for the 33-year-old woman from barangay Sambag this city who was arrested last February 14 for allegedly trying to sneak suspected shabu into the Cebu City Jail.

Carmela Menchavez is facing charges for violating Section 11 of the Dangerous Drugs Act after she was caught by one of the facility’s jail guards with two packs of suspected shabu weighing to at least 8.88 grams and a high-end cellphone.

Menchavez went to the city jail in barangay Kalunasan around 1 p.m. that day to visit inmate Rodrigo Raganas, her 21-year-old common-law husband.

The packs of suspected shabu were discovered shoved into her genitalia when she was frisked by women jail guards during the body search.

However, Menchavez denied the accusation saying that the contraband was not confiscated from her.

Menchavez refused to reveal if the drugs were meant for her live-in partner, said Supt. Efren Nemeño, warden of the BBRC.

She was detained at the Cebu City Police Office pending the filing of charges.

Menchavez was first charged with violation of Section 5 of the Dangerous Drugs Act before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

But it was later downgraded to violation of Section 11 of the Act after Prosecutor Alexander Acosta found out that “there wasn’t enough proof showing that Menchavez had the intention to deliver the packs of shabu to anybody in the jail facility at the time of her arrest.” — Jasmin R. Uy/MEEV (THE FREEMAN)