A TOTAL of 350 inmates were tested negative from illegal drug use after they underwent separate random drug tests in two jails in Negros Occidental Wednesday, May 22.
In Bacolod City, 300 inmates, including high-profile and high-value persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) submitted their urine samples during the test Wednesday, May 23 in the morning.
Chief Inspector Norberto Miciano, warden of Metro Bacolod District Jail (MBDJ) male dormitory in Barangay Handumanan said, "we randomly selected them, and subject them to the drug test in a new approach because some of them already underwent the same test."
Sixty-five percent of them have drug cases, he added.
Miciano said 100 inmates are undergoing the test every month.
"It should be 50 percent of the circulation every quarter," he added.
At present, the jail has 782 inmates.
In Cadiz City, 50 PDLs of Cadiz City District Jail also yielded negative from illegal drug use in the test Wednesday, May 23.
Senior Inspector Ian Karl Niaga said 20 percent of the total number of detainees' population submitted their urine samples upon the supervision of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (Pdea).
A greyhound operation was also conducted Wednesday, May 23 as part of their Oplan Linis Pi-itan.
Around 240 inmates were asked to leave their cells to thoroughly search for contrabands.
The joint task force of the jail, PDEA, and police searched each dormitory that resulted to a confiscation of four ballpens, eight lighters, two bottles, two spoons, five tin cans, two belts, four blades, 20 assorted nails, wires, and plugs, among others.
No cellular phones and other electronic devices, as well as illegal drugs, were seized during the operation.
Niaga said the intensified crackdown on illegal drugs and contrabands is to continue the fight against illegal activities inside the jail and to ensure a safe and secure environment for rehabilitation.
(GYM)