Most Baguio female inmates jailed due to drugs, estafa

By Gaby B. Keith

BAGUIO CITY -- – Just like their counterparts in the Baguio City Jail, majority women deprived of liberty in the facility were jailed for drug offenses.
    Jail Insp. Dalver Pulupul bared this to the city anti-drug abuse committee Dec. 14, at City Hall.
    The meeting was attended by Mayor Benjamin Magalong, CADAC chair and councilor Jose Molintas who heads the City Council’s public safety, peace and order committee.
    She said of the total female dorm population of 72 PDLs, 43 or 59.72 percent were incarcerated due to violations of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002; 12 or 16.66% for estafa, while eight or 11.11% of the PDLs were jailed for illegal recruitment.
    The rest were arrested for the following: four or 5.55% for qualified trafficking in persons; and one each or 1.38% for qualified theft, forgery, carnapping, kidnapping and serious physical injuries, Pulupul added.
    On ages of the 43 drug offenders, she said nine were 18-24 of age; nine, 25-30; eight, 31-35; five, 36-40; seven, 41-45; one, 51-55; three, 56-59; and one in the 60 and above age bracket.
    Pulupul said eight WERE undergoing outpatient drug treatment and rehabilitation  at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center WHILE two have undergone drug dependency examination (DDE) at the same hospital.
    Jail-based programs for drug offenders, she said, included Katatagan, Kalusugan at Damayan ng Komunidad, Therapeutic Community Modality Program, Alternative Education System, regular interfaith sessions, and livelihood programs.
     The BCJ Female Dorm continues to coordinate with the Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Cordillera in joint activities in implementation of a drug-free workplace, Pulupul said.