URDANETA CITY— All the 38 personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in this city took the drug test last July 29 and all are negative of drug use.

J/Chief Inspector Roque Constante Sison III, jail warden, said they are the first among BJMP employees in Pangasinan who took a surprise drug test to show their support to the Duterte administration’s policy of intolerance towards illegal drugs.

He said his personnel willingly took the drug test when he told them about the arrangements he made for the drug test.

“It was a gamble on my part to have them (employees) take the drug test because I was not sure if someone would prove positive because in the past, there were rumors of drug pushing here,” he said.

Of the 770 inmates, 70 percent are facing drug-related charges, he said.

He said he, too, hates drugs and has been implementing measures to cleanse BJMP ranks wherever he was assigned. “I have taken three drug tests to lead by example,” he said.

The city government under Mayor Amadeo Gregorio Perez IV funded the costs of their drug tests.

Meanwhile, the increase in number of arrested drug personalities have further congested further the jail facility here, Sison said. “There are already about 60 more since July 1,” he added.

“This is the highest number compared to previous months,” he added. The BJMP facility has a capacity for 80 to 100 inmates only. “This is alarming,” he intoned.

BJMP Urdaneta is the lone facility to serve the Fifth District. (Tita Roces)

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments