Pubdate: Sun, 08 Aug 2004
Source: Sunstar Pangasinan (Philippines)
Copyright: 2004 Sunstar
Contact:  http://www.sunstar.com.ph/pangasinan/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1726
Author: Fred P. Macaraeg
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine)

ENTRY OF MARIJUANA IN JAIL FOILED

LINGAYEN -- Guards at the Pangasinan Provincial Jail thwarted an attempt of
an inmate's visitor to slip marijuana into the jail.

Acting jail warden Rogelio Paglingayen said Camilo Garcia, a resident of
Barangay Pangapisan had been turned over to the municipal police after the
guards recovered 3.9 grams of marijuana from Garcia.

"When they requested him to take off his shoes, he was hesitant. So the
guards forced him to take off his shoes and socks and they recovered pack of
marijuana," Paglingayen said.

Paglingayen ordered Garcia should be unclad for there could still some other
contrabands in his body.

They took the suspect to a secluded place and recovered dried marijuana
leaves wrapped in cellophane inside his underwear.

"Perhaps, during his first and second visits, he did not have any baggage.
On his third visit, the guards had chanced on his possession of marijuana,"
Paglingayen said.

He said Garcia could now be out of jail on bail as the municipal police had
immediately filed the case against the suspect in court.

Asked if there were some witnesses when Garcia was body searched, he said
there were five guards, two did the body search while the other watched.

"There are also some detainees who witnessed it so they would be asked to
testify, they will testify," he said.

During a surprise inspection at the jail under Col. Felimon Doria's
administration, the special operations group of the provincial police
recovered more than 100 grams of shabu inside the jail.

They also found out that inmate Abelardo Punzal, considered number one drug
personality in Region I, had been given special treatment. His detention
cell was air-conditioned and had a refrigerator inside it.

It was also learned that drug trade had been occurring inside the jail
wherein drug users from the outside posed as visitors to buy shabu from the
detained drug personalities.

This led to the relief of Doria as warden and was eventually dismissed from
government service.

Paglingayen said being the acting warden, he issued policies and guidelines
that should be followed in jail.

"To prevent the recurrence of that incident, all visitors, if female, she
should be body searched inside the office where there is female jail
employee who would do it, and if male, it would be the jail guards," he
said.

Paglingayen also said that when he talked with inmates with drug cases, they
vowed not to engage anymore in the illegal drug activities and would
cooperate with his administration. 
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