BAGUIO CITY—Less than nine hours before Christmas Day, three minors were arrested by the jail guards of the city jail here when they attempted to bring in a lechon (whole roasted pig) to an inmate.

Philippine drug enforcement agency regional director Gil Castro said that the eldest of the three is a 16-year-old male who attempted to bring in shabu for an inmate.

Castro said that the arrest happened following a routine inspection of all visitors as well as things being brought in the jail.

“At about 3:50 p.m. on Dec. 24, JInsp Cabradilla who heads the Operations Division of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology  in Baguio called the field office of the Pdea to report the arrest “Charlie” [not his real name], Filipino, 16 years old, single, porter, elementary undergraduate, Islamic male, and a resident of Baguio City. He was arrested together with “Mandy” [not his real name], Filipino, 13 years old, single, porter, elementary undergraduate, Islamic male, a native of Marawi City, Mindanao and currently residing in the city as well as “Larry” [not his real name] Filipino, 13 years old, single, porter, elementary undergraduate, Islamic male also of Marawi City, Mindanao, and a resident of the city.”

Castro said that the suspects were apprehended during the conduct of a routine search on visitors and the things they had with them prior to being allowed inside the jail.

The arrest report showed that while conducting the search, Jail Officer Bonbon Pangcog discovered two rolled pieces of paper taped inside the mouth of a roasted pig.

The rolled paper was found to contain eight small heat-sealed plastic sachets later confirmed to be shabu, weighing 6.3 grams.

The report disclosed that the Noche Buena lechon was brought by the three minors for Vener Nagen, a detention prisoner in the city jail.

Taken inside the lechon were eight small heat-sealed plastic sachets containing shabu with a total weight of more or less 6.3 grams. The seized items have a market value of said P69,300.

Inventory of all seized evidence was done four hours before Christmas.

Castro commended the jail personnel for being judicious in the performance of their duty, which prevents entry of contraband like drugs inside the jail which is a controlled facility.

Sometime in November and October, several attempts were made to smuggle drugs in the jail were discovered by jail guards.

Two women who attempted to bring in drugs in the past years were meted life imprisonment during the last quarter of 2011.

JCInsp. Godofredo Quitan, city jail warden, said that various innovations are being done by the inmates and the visitors to smuggle different contrabands.

These, however, were discovered either prior to entry or immediately upon entry, preventing the smuggling of drugs inside the city jail. --Liza T. Agoot