Drug cases in jail alarm Labella

CEBU, Philippines - Almost half of the prisoners in Cebu City Jail have drug-related cases, with majority of them are detained for using drugs, Acting Mayor Edgardo Labella said yesterday.

“As of now there are 2,269 detention prisoners sa city jail and of the 2,269 detention prisoners, about 1,058 of these are drug-related cases in other words, it’s about 50 percent of the cases of the detention prisoners who are now inside the City Jail are drug related either as pushers or as users,” Labella said.

Labella said OIC Jail Warden Superintendent Johnson Calub also reported that 10 to 15 percent of the 1,058 are drug pushers.

He also said jail officers were able to apprehend jail visitors who tried to smuggle illegal drugs by placing it inside the sex organ.

“Naa pa gani kunoy nasakpan nga it was placed inside the sex organ. They were able to catch it, that’s last week. Gi-plastic nya gisud didto,” he revealed.

Labella said he will ask the City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention to look into the possibility of putting drug users under drug rehabilitation program while in detention.

The acting mayor also said that his office has been receiving reports that drug abuse is now prevalent in the mountain barangays in Cebu City.

“For me every report is an alarming report. It should not be taken lightly and there is no small case when it comes to drug related case. Because this is the root cause of all, the way I look at it,” he said.

The Police Coordinating and Advisory Council will meet with the officials of the 80 barangays in the city during its regular meeting on Tuesday at the Talamban Barangay Hall to discuss the problem, he said.

“Talamban is like the gateway to the mountain barangays so we will conduct our PCAC meeting and invite all the stakeholders, for PCAC for the police chief for PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7) and all other agencies to be able to listen the extent of the problem so they will have an accurate assessment of the drug situation,” Labella said.

He said the station chief of Talamban Police Station will report about the drug situation in his area of responsibility.

He said he is also asking the Association of Barangay Councils to coordinate with the Cebu City Police Office to help address the problem.

“Kining fight against criminality is not just the job of the police. There has to be community involvement,” he said.  

Section 5 of the Republic Act No. 9165 known as Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 states: “The penalty of life imprisonment to death and a fine ranging from P500,000.00 to P10,000,000.00 shall be imposed upon any person, who, unless authorized by law, shall sell, trade, administer, dispense, deliver, give away to another, distribute dispatch in transit or transport any dangerous drug, including any and all species of opium poppy regardless of the quantity and purity involved, or shall act as a broker in any of such transactions.”  

Also, in Section 15 of the law states: â€œA person apprehended or arrested, who is found to be positive for use of any dangerous drug, after a confirmatory test, shall be imposed a penalty of a minimum of six months rehabilitation in a government center for the first offense.”

The law further says: “If apprehended using any dangerous drug for the second time, he/she shall suffer the penalty of imprisonment ranging from six years and one day to twelve years and a fine ranging from P50,000.00 to P200,000.00.” — (FREEMAN)