Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director-General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. yesterday expressed full support for the passage of House Bill (HB) No. 9153, or the "Contraband Detection and Control System Act," in the third and final reading. The bill aims to prevent the proliferation of contraband in prison facilities.

He said that this bill provides for the establishment and implementation of a Contraband Detection and Control System (CDCS) through the use of modern technologies in correctional, custodial, or detention facilities nationwide.

"This is what we needed in the bureau. With the modern technologies like body scanner, we can do away with strip search for visitors entering the New Bilibid Prison as this can detect objects even those inside a person's body for security screening purposes, without physically removing the person clothes or making any physical contact," Catapang explained.

The BuCor chief added that strip search is randomly implemented at the NBP by searching a person for contraband suspected hidden in the body and clothing which could not easily be found by just performing a frisk search.

He said the number of incidences of those trying to squeeze in contrabands by visitors of persons deprived of liberty (PDL) is rising. Most of them are concealing items in their private parts.

"There is a need for a modern and high-tech gadgets and technologies to help the guards in detecting contrabands concealed in their bodies and personal effects of PDLs they want to smuggle inside prison and penal farms," said Catapang.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has earlier directed Catapang to go hard in detecting the smuggling of contraband inside the prison facilities under the supervision of BuCor.

Remulla was seriously concerned with preventing visitors from squeezing in contraband particularly illegal drugs to prisoners.

Principally authored by Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, who is the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs chairman, contraband or prohibited item under this bill refers to:

• Any ammunition, firearm, light weapon, small arms, or thermal weapon
• Explosives
• Dangerous drugs, illegal substances, equipment, instruments, apparatus and other paraphernalia, and other drugs producing similar effects or that may be prohibited by law;
• Dangerous or deadly weapons
• Any alcoholic or intoxicating beverage
• Cigarettes and other tobacco products, including heated tobacco products (HTP), HTP devices, HTP systems, nicotine mixtures/shots, novel tobacco products, refills, vapor products, vapor product devices, vapor product systems, and vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products
• All forms of currency and monetary instruments, whether local or foreign denominated, including drafts, checks, notes, securities, negotiable instruments, bonds, commercial papers, deposit and trust certificates, and other similar instruments where title thereto passes to another by endorsement, assignment or delivery
• Electronic communication devices or equipment such as cellphones, laptops and other personal computers, modems, routers, satellite receivers, digital storage devices, and accessories, capable of storing, receiving, or transmitting information, including text, voice, video, and other forms of data
• Signal jammers and similar devices capable of blocking, detecting, or intercepting electronic or radio signals and transmissions
• Luxury items such as appliances, electronic devices, gambling or gaming equipment, and jewelry
• Any other object that is capable of threatening the safety, security, or health of persons inside or around the detention facility or that is capable of being used in planning, aiding, or executing the escape from such facilities or institutions

The bill also imposes the penalty of imprisonment of 20 years up to 40 years and a fine of not less than P5 million but not more than P10 million if the contraband involved is any of the first three abovementioned items.

If the contraband involved is other than those abovementioned, the penalty shall be imprisonment of six years up to 12 years and a fine of not less than P1 million but not more than P5 million pesos.

Under the bill, the penalty of imprisonment shall be served consecutively after the service of the sentence imposed by the court with respect to the possession of the prohibited object or contraband.

In addition, any public official, jail authority, or employee found in violation of this act will be given the additional penalty of perpetual absolute disqualification from holding public office and forfeiture of all retirement benefits and accrued leave credits.