Some Bohol District Jail employees are being monitored by officials of the detention facility over suspicion of collusion among inmates, visitors and jail personnel in smuggling contraband into the BDJ.

This was bared by BDJ warden Jail Chief Insp. Jose Rusylvi Abueva after 10 inmates of the facility tested positive for illegal drug use on Wednesday.

Abueva’s disclosure on apparent illegal drug activities in the BDJ has prompted the Provincial Board (PB) to set an inquiry on the suspected drug use inside the facility.

Ex-officio Board Member Romulo Cepedoza suggested the probe during the PB’s regular session on Friday to find out how drugs passed through BDJ security and closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera.

The probe is also intended to come up with guidelines for the provincial government in extending support to the BDJ in its crackdown on the entry of contraband such as illegal drugs, said Cepedoza.

Abueva had admitted that drugs were smuggled into the facility as he noted that eradicating the entry of prohibited items is a difficult task due to lack of equipment and personnel.

However, the jail official debunked reports indicating that drugs that are smuggled into the BDJ come from the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

For his part, Provincial Administrator Ae Damalerio said that it is unsurprising that some inmates would test positive for drug use particularly those being held for drug charges.

Damalerio pointed out that the presence of substances such as shabu inside a drug user’s body could linger for long periods of time.

However, the provincial official said that he would be surprised if jail guards and other BDJ personnel test positive for drug use as he vouched for them.

Damalerio noted that employees of the facility have been subjected to drug testing and all of them tested negative for illegal drug use. (Allen Doydora and Rey Tutas)