SURIGAO del Norte Representative and House Committee on Dangerous Drugs Chairman Robert Ace S. Barbers has filed a bill that seeks to put an end to the proliferation of prohibited objects or items inside all prison institutions.

In filing the House Bill (HB) No. 6126 entitled “An Act Mandating all Prison and Detention Facilities to Implement Contraband Detection and Control System, Providing Penalties and for Other Purposes,” otherwise known as the “Anti-Proliferation of Contraband in Prison Act of 2022.”

Barbers explained, “The proliferation of contraband in prison has remained a perennial problem in the country. Its never-ending presence inside the correctional facilities has now transformed our prison institutions into breeding grounds for continuing criminality.”

“The series of events, whereby thousands of contrabands, including shabu, were confiscated inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) and the discovery of a middleman inmate who used a cellphone to hire gunmen to kill Percy Lapid, [has] prompted me to craft a measure that would address this serious problem in our prison institutions,” Barbers said.

Barbers stressed, “Of course, it is very alarming that persons who are supposed to be serving their sentences behind bars still have the liberty to access gambling materials, dangerous drugs and deadly weapons, and can even use communication devices to continue their criminal activities outside of prison jails.”

The veteran lawmaker from Mindanao lamented that what is happening right now in the correctional institutions runs counter to the very foundations of the criminal justice system that mandates punishment, reformation and/or rehabilitation of offenders for their crimes.

“This sinister activity of contraband smuggling in prison, if not properly addressed, would not only undermine the safety and security of our penal facilities but also the public in general,” Barbers added.

Under Barbers’ proposed measure, all prison and detention facilities are mandated to implement extensive contraband interdiction procedures by employing modern detection devices, units, and technologies to cut the flow of prohibited objects or items inside the penal institutions.

These include the use of hand-held walk-through metal detectors; X-ray security scanners; K-9 units specializing in cellphones/gadgets and narcotics detection and; signal jammers for cellphones, drones, and other similar gadgets or technologies.

Officials of these penal institutions shall regularly conduct search and seizure operations to eradicate contraband trafficking inside the prison facilities.

The measure imposes up to 40 years imprisonment and a fine of 5 million pesos (P5,000,000.00) to any person who shall introduce dangerous drugs and deadly weapons or those who will be caught in possession thereof in a prison facility.

The introduction or possession of other kinds of contraband in prison as defined under this Act shall be punished by imprisonment ranging from six years and one day to 12 years and a fine of P1 million.

To wipe out graft and corruption inside the correctional institutions, jail authorities which shall be found facilitating or assisting in the introduction or conveyance of these prohibited items shall be dealt with severe penalties, in addition to disqualification from holding public office and the forfeiture of all his/her retirement benefits.