KORONADAL CITY — Serious concerns have been raised over the security and integrity of the South Cotabato Rehabilitation and Detention Center (SCRDC) after 11 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) tested positive for illegal drugs during a random drug test conducted inside the provincial jail.
The alarming revelation was confirmed by Jail Warden Barney Condes, who said that 11 out of 31 inmates tested yielded positive results for drug use during a recent inspection initiated by jail authorities.
“Even while behind bars, some inmates continue to engage in illegal drug use,” Condes admitted, expressing dismay over the persistence of the problem inside a supposedly secure and closely monitored facility.
The warden claimed that some inmates may have been using “old stocks” of drugs previously smuggled into the facility, a statement that has since raised eyebrows and prompted public demand for a thorough and independent investigation into how such contraband could have entered — and remained — in a detention center that is supposed to be under 24-hour surveillance and strict security control.
As part of immediate disciplinary action, the 11 inmates were isolated in separate cells and placed under a rehabilitation program. Their visitation privileges have also been suspended to enforce discipline and reinforce reform efforts.
Authorities at SCRDC have since vowed to tighten their security protocols to prevent similar incidents, emphasizing their commitment to maintaining a drug-free environment inside the facility.
However, human rights advocates and local watchdogs argue that this incident underscores systemic flaws within the detention management system — questioning whether corruption, negligence, or operational lapses may have allowed the entry and circulation of illegal drugs within a supposedly controlled environment.
Observers are now calling on the Provincial Government of South Cotabato and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to launch a full-blown probe into the incident and hold accountable those responsible for any breach in jail security.
As one concerned resident put it, “If illegal drugs can freely enter a secured provincial jail, how much more outside its walls?”
The incident serves as a chilling reminder of the continuing challenges in the country’s fight against illegal drugs — not just on the streets, but even within the very institutions meant to reform offenders.