MANILA — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Tuesday destroyed 4,476 pieces of contraband as part of the bureau’s intensified campaign against the proliferation of such illegal goods in district, city and municipal jails across the country.
A road roller crushed 517 cellular phones, 223 improvised weapons, 342 pieces of electronic accessories, 300 lighters, 3,080 sticks of cigarettes, 14 pieces of tattoo paraphernalia, and other prohibited items inside jails.
The activity is part of the “Oplan Linis Piitan” campaign launched by Acting BJMP Director Deogracias Tapayan to combat the entry of contraband and their removal from facilities of the bureau.
“The directive of the President (Rodrigo Duterte) is clear: no illegal drugs, no cellular phones in jails,” Tapayan said.
“We wanted our facilities to be contraband-free to ensure the safety of our inmates and personnel while boosting the impact of development programs on our detainees,” he added.
The destruction of confiscated contraband coincides with the celebration of National Correctional Consciousness Week, declared under Proclamation No. 551 series of 1995 issued by then president, Fidel V. Ramos.
The BJMP is an attached agency of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). (PNA)
