Manila: Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. has relieved a camp commander and another commissioned officer of their duties at the Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm (SPPF) in Occidental Mindoro following a foiled attempt to smuggle contraband into the corrections facility, the BuCor said Thursday. C/CInsp. Francisco Madrid, the camp commander, and CT/Insp. Edgar Laudencia are now at the Directorate for Personnel and Human Resource Development at the national headquarters in Muntinlupa City for further investigation.

According to Philippines News Agency, SPPF acting Superintendent CCInsp. Abel Ciruela reported that the smuggling attempt began when a dump truck (NAO 3283) loaded with gravel and sand parked suspiciously outside the perimeter of the SPPF hospital. The driver, Rob Antaran, claimed he had a permit signed by Madrid allowing him to deliver the materials inside the facility, prompting the security team to let him proceed to the designated unloading area.

However, upon reaching the area, the driver refused to unload his gravel and sand, citing the malfunctioning of the hydraulic system. Due to his persistent refusal to unload, he was brought to the visiting area near where the dump truck was parked for questioning. During the questioning, he admitted that the load of gravel and sand contained hidden contraband.

Security and operations personnel subsequently unloaded the gravel and sand, uncovering a substantial amount of contraband. This included 213 bottles of 1-liter Ginebra San Miguel, 48 bottles of 700ml Ginebra San Miguel, 16 bottles of 1L Jack Daniel's Whiskey, two bottles of 700ml Jack Daniel's Whiskey, 30 reams of Marlboro cigarettes, 69 reams of tobacco, 10 packs of tobacco, and 37 sticks of tobacco.

Catapang has ordered a thorough investigation of the incident to determine if other BuCor personnel were involved in the attempt to bring contraband into the facility. He also instructed all superintendents of SPPF to conduct a comprehensive review of existing protocols related to the management and inspection of deliveries. Stricter guidelines for vehicle checks, monitoring entry permits, and unannounced inspections are to be implemented to mitigate the risk of future smuggling attempts.