A son of a former corrections officer and two others were caught due to suspected illegal drugs at San Ramon Prison and Penal Farm (ZPPF) in Zamboanga, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) revealed on Friday.
This prompted BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. to order the implementation of stricter measures on the use of government quarters intended for its personnel.
Catapang made the statement following the arrest on Thursday of Minimum Security PDL Jawewe Sakaluran Halil, Louie Ocampo, and his wife, Fatima Madjid, by BuCor security personnel.
The BuCor chief also ordered SPPF C/SSupt. Daisy Sevilla Castillote to conduct a thorough investigation and to ensure that no government quarters will be used for illicit activities.
A report submitted to Catapang by Castillote showed that, prior to their arrest, an intelligence report was received by her office from a confidential informant stating that an unknown Minimum Security PDL would pretend to buy something at the store owned by the Ocampo couple, situated in Family Shelter as a government quarter. Ocampo is the son of former Corrections Officer Charles Ocampo, who has been separated from the service since March of last year.
Ocampo and Madjid do not possess a directive to own a house inside the prison reservation, in violation of the Housing Policy of BuCor, and they have been served a final notice to vacate the premises since April 15 of this year, Castillote said.
The report also stated that at around 8:45 a.m., three Minimum Security PDLs were sighted, but only two proceeded to the store. Afterward, they were subjected to inspection, and while CSO1 Silverio Garcia, Chief of the Response Security and Escort Command, conducted a search in the presence of Castillote, a piece of brown tissue paper fell to the ground from the possession of PDL Halil. Upon checking, it was found to contain three sachets of suspected shabu.
Castillote said that, upon interrogation, Halil pointed out that he had bought the suspected illegal drugs from the store of Ocampo and Madjid.
He ordered the immediate conduct of a Galugad with the K9 Unit at the store owned by Ocampo, where they confiscated contraband and at the same time informed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Authority (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) Station 9.
They confiscated four sachets of suspected shabu, 30 pieces of strip aluminum foils, six lighters, three improvised spatulas, and one pack of transparent plastic.
All the evidence was turned over to the PDEA for analysis, while the individuals arrested were turned over to the PNP for proper disposition and the filing of appropriate charges.