PDL with links to couple nabbed with P3.4M drugs isolated

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A Person Deprived of Liberty (PDL) detained in the male dormitory of the Cebu City Jail, who reportedly had links with a couple who was arrested for drugs is now put in an isolation cell.

READ: Suba live-in couple-jailed dealer’s drug business busted; P3.4 million shabu seized

Cebu City Jail warden Jail Superintendent Jose Abueva said that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7) coordinated with them after the latter found out that the arrested couple had transactions with somebody from inside the city’s jail facility.

PDEA said it took them three weeks to conduct their operations against the two whom they identified as Jaime Gastador, 43, and Jocelyn Premacio, 47, of Barangay Suba, Cebu City.

As a protocol, Abueva said that any PDL who has violated penal rules will be put under the disciplinary board. Jail personnel will then conduct a surprise greyhound operation on the suspected cell to check if there are contrabands inside.

Later, the PDL will be transferred to a segregation cell. As to how many days or weeks the PDL will be isolated is up to the discretion of the disciplinary board.

In this case, Abueva said that they transferred the said PDL to a separate cell on the same day, May 14, that the live-in-partners were arrested in Barangay Suba.

Seized from the couple were around half a kilo of suspected ‘shabu’ with an estimated market value of P3,400,000.

Abueva revealed that the isolated PDL was also arrested for drugs but he has no specific details yet as to where and when this PDL was caught.

During the greyhound operation, Abueva said they have confiscated improvised weapons and three cellphones, two were smartphones, one was a keypad. Abueva further said that the confiscated cellphones will be checked as part of their investigation.

The arrested live-in partners are currently detained in the PDEA detention cell waiting for appropriate charges to be filed against them this Monday.  /rcg