Bohol jail visitor detained over alleged shabu found in her bag

Jail guards arrest Josienen Patenio Perfecio, 30, whose shoulder bag yielded two sachets of suspected shabu during inspection at the Bohol District Jail on Tuesday, June 5, 2018. Together with her young daughter, Perfecio was at the jail to visit her live-in partner, who was imprisoned for illegal drugs two years ago. Leo Udtohan/Inquirer Visayas

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol – A woman visiting her jailed live-in partner at the Bohol District Jail (BDJ) was arrested on Tuesday afternoon for attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the detention facility.

Along with her young daughter, Josienen Patenio Perfecio, 30, a resident of Alturas Habitat Village in Barangay Tabalong, Dauis town, arrived at the BDJ around 12:55 p.m. to visit her live-in partner, Lemuel Guades.

Guades, police said, was a drug peddler arrested in a buy-bust operation two years ago.

According to authorities, Perfecio initially surrendered the new rice cooker she brought to the jail guards for inspection. But she refused to have her shoulder bag inspected despite agreeing to leave it at the security post.

Perfecio’s refusal to have her shoulder bag inspected prompted jail officers to doubt her, JO2 Jonathan Tungol said.

Subsequently, female jail guard Cherry May Balani was tasked to inspect Perfecio’s bag.

Balani noted that, at first, Perfecio seemed relaxed during the inspection but started to appear nervous and uneasy when they found two sachets of suspected shabu inside her bag.

During tactical interrogation at the facility’s administrative office, jail officers said Perfecio could not give clear answers about the presence of the suspected illegal items in her bag and would at times even appear as if she was out of her mind.

Prefecio claimed jail guards forcibly grabbed her bag. She also claimed that the two sachets contained “tawas” (alum) not shabu.

Tungol said the seized substance was submitted to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory for analysis.

Perfecio was being held at the Tagbilaran City Jail pending the filing of charges against her for possession of illegal drugs.   /kga