22 cops, 4 jail officers monitored for ‘drug links’

ILOILO City – At least 22 police personnel and four jail officers of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Western Visayas are under investigation and surveillance for alleged involvement in narcotics and other illegal activities, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-6.

“There are law enforces in the region linked to illegal drugs, especially police and jail officers,” PDEA-6 director Alex Tablate said. But he did not identify them.    

He added that these active uniformed personnel are allegedly benefiting from the illegal drug trade.   

“Based in our records, these police officers and jail officers are drug protectors, but we have yet to prove their involvement,” said Tablate.

Some of them, according to the PDEA-6 director, have been in the list since 2018 and some are new “protectors.”

He said they are still conducting an in-depth investigation and validation to rid the service of these scalawags.

Tablate, however, admitted it was hard to pin them down. “They are not personally selling illegal drugs and they are only protecting them,” he explained.

“But, if there’s an evidence against them, then we have to conduct an operation in order for them to be put in prison because they are supposed to spearhead the campaign against illegal drugs,” Tablate stressed.   

For his part, BJMP-6 deputy director for administration Jail Superintendent Gilbert Peremne said he has to consult his intelligence officers to verify the identity of the four narco-jail officers.

“I have to meet my intelligence officers and the PDEA to know who are these personnel because we are conducting non-stop drug clearing operation on jail and drug test to all personnel likewise to inmates,” Peremne said.    

“We are not tolerating this kind of illegal activity and if proven that they are guilty, they will face dismissal from service because this is a capital offense,” added Peremne./PN 

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