Ramirez may face sanction for contrabands

CEBU, Philippines — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-7 (BJMP) may sanction former Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez, after a greyhound operation conducted in his hospital room resulted in the recovery of some contraband.

Jail Chief Inspector Ebylino Escaño, the Chief of Operations at BJMP-7, told The FREEMAN that the inmate disciplinary board may impose sanction by either cutting short or barring visitation privilege of Ramirez.

However, he explained that BJMP-7 headquarters will only act as the overseeing body and the BJMP-Medellin Warden  Superintendent Corazon Noel will determine if it is necessary.

“Actually dili na man kinahanglan ang headquarters ang mu-implement since those naa sa ground can do so. Most of the time basta naa contraband, kay naa gyud na sanction na ipatuman,” Escaño told The FREEMAN in a phone interview. (It is not necessary that the headquarters will be the one to implement the sanction.  Most of the time, if there is contraband recovered, there will always be sanctions.)

Jail Warden Noel told Bombo Radyo Cebu in a separate interview that they will intensify monitor Ramirez.

“Mas ato na ni monitoron aron masiguru nga dili na makalusot ang bisan unsa nga kontrabando,” Noel said.

Last Wednesday, BJMP- Medellin and personnel from the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7 conducted a surprise greyhound operation in BJMP Medellin - District Jail.

Ramirez is under hospital arrest and the greyhound in his hospital room in Bogo Medellin Medical Center yielded liquors, cigarettes, lighters, assorted cellphone , accessories, wireless charger, playing cards and portable speaker.

Ramirez has been on hospital arrest since 2017 after he complained of abnormal chest pains.

He was arrested in July 2017 for illegal possession of firearms in virtue of a search warrant.

However, Ramirez denied this in previous interviews. (FREEMAN)