Ferrer calls for meeting with NOPPO, BJMP officials today
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer recently called on authorities to conduct an investigation into allegations that a major drug syndicate is operating within the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Bago City’s Barnagay Tabunan. In an interview with Aksyon Radyo-Bacolod over the weekend, Ferrer said such criminality “should not be tolerated.”
The revelation came after a drug suspect, who was arrested last Friday, claimed his drug operations are conducted under orders from two NODJ inmates.
A total P7.3 million worth of suspected shabu, weighing more than one kilogram, was seized along South Capitol Road in Bacolod City from Ronaldo Roquero, Jr.  of Talisay City. Police Lieutenant Thurslie Castillo, head of the Regional Drug Enforcement Unit-Negros Occidental (RDEU-Negros Occidental), said Roquero can be considered a provincial-level high-value target because of the volume of drugs recovered.
Roquero told police the seized items were sourced from Manila and he was tasked to distribute across the province by the two said inmates who he refused to identify.
The RDEU official added, Roquero linked suspected drug lord Michael Divinagracia to their illegal drug transactions but did not elaborate on his role.
Meanwhile, the vice governor said he has called Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) director, Police Colonel Romeo Baleros, and officials from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) for a meeting today to discuss the matter.
In response to the suspect revealing that he is taking orders from someone inside NODJ, Ferrer called is “revealing.”
“It means that jail officials in the NODJ are allowing inmates to use mobile phones,” he stated. “[This] should not be set aside because this is the first time that this happened in Negros Occidental.”
“It should be a major cause of concern,” the provincial official added. “Many persons should be held accountable for this.”
He added, those responsible need to be identified and called on the BJMP to “take measures against their operations.”
NODJ warden, Jail Senior Inspector Norberto Miciano, has since conducted a “greyhound operation” and found one inmate that was identified by Roquero is currently inside the facility.
“[He] was already isolated and was subjected [to] drug test, which turned out negative,” the warden explained. “He was also temporarily not allowed to receive visitors while he [was] subjected [to] investigation.”
He added, they did not recover any communication devices during the operation.
Based on the visitor logbook, the inmate in question had a visitor from Silay City over the past few days.
Miciano affirmed, “It will be part of our investigation to determine if he is transacting with his visitors.”/DGB, WDJ