The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology 11 (BJMP 11) recorded no illegal drug confiscations inside its jail facilities during the second quarter of 2026, an official said.
Chief Inspector Glendelle V. Abiasen, chief of operations, said on Wednesday that only minor contraband items were seized during routine inspections from April to June.
Abiasen attributed the result to tighter security measures and stricter screening of visitors and personnel.
“For the second quarter, wala. Only mga low contraband ang mga na-confiscate natin inside our jail facilities,” Abiasen said during the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps media briefing.
Although no drugs were recovered during the period, Abiasen disclosed that jail personnel intercepted an attempt to throw prohibited items into one of the facilities from outside.
“Meron lang kaming incident which is may nagtapon from outside the jail facility papunta sa facility natin. However, siyempre, ’yung mga duty po natin is always on alert,” he said.
Abiasen credited the accomplishment to the agency’s intensified security protocols, particularly the strict inspection of all visitors and personnel entering jail compounds.
“Mahigpit naman po tayo when it comes to the strict searching of our visitors and, of course, our personnel na pumapasok po sa jail unit natin,” he said.
Meanwhile, BJMP 11 also reported a decline in jail congestion, which Abiasen attributed to several decongestion initiatives.
He said these include the transfer of qualified persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) from city jails to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) facilities, as well as the implementation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) program.
“One of the factors ng pagbaba ng jail population natin is ’yung mga jail decongestion programs. One is the transfer of inmates from our city jails papunta sa BuCor. Another is the implementation of GCTA. Kapag nag-aayos po ‘yung mga PDL natin sa loob, nabibigyan sila ng dagdag na time… kaya napa-early po ang pag-release nila. It’s part of our rehabilitation process,” Abiasen explained.
He also expressed optimism that congestion in Davao City’s jail facilities would significantly improve once the new Wangan jail facility is formally turned over to the BJMP.
The new Davao City Jail facility in Barangay Wangan, Calinan District, is a multi-million-peso jail complex built to help ease the severe congestion at the existing Davao City Jail in Barangay Ma-a. The project was undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and will be operated by the BJMP.
The facility has already been completed, Abiasen said, and the bureau is coordinating with concerned agencies for its eventual occupancy.
“When it comes sa Wangan facility, we’re waiting for the possible turnover ng facility papunta sa atin. Greatly alleviated po ang decongestion ng city jail kasi ang laki po ng facility natin doon,” he said.
He added that the remaining concerns involve the provision of water and electricity services before the transfer can proceed.
“We’re closely coordinating for the possible transfer. We’re waiting for the update with regards sa water and electricity,” Abiasen said.
Currently, the Davao City Jail Male Dormitory has a congestion rate of 523 percent, which the BJMP expects to decline substantially once inmates are relocated to the larger Wangan facility.
