CEBU, Philippines – A special electronic gadget that blocks cell phone signals will soon be installed in the Cebu City Jail in Barangay Kalunasan to suppress illegal drug trafficking inside the facility.

Cebu City incoming Mayor Tomas Osmeña announced that he will help acquire a cell phone jammer for the city jail to stop the illegal activities of some unscrupulous inmates who continue to operate their illegal drug stores outside, gadgets such as cell phones.

City Jail Warden Johnson Calub supports Osmeña’s move and says the issue has already been discussed by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officials in Manila.

However, the plan was not implemented due to budget constraints.

While the jail manual strictly prohibits communication equipment in detention centers, some inmates managed to secure cell phones because some corrupt jailers might have them in exchange for money.

WLAN jammers send signals. Telecommunications experts said one ingenious device can jam all frequencies at once. The largest cell phone jammers, used by police and military, can be mounted in vehicles for security convoys.

Osmeña said he has already voted with some trusted presidential men who vote for Rodrigo Duterte and discussed how to deal with an effective campaign against the operations of drug fighters and traffickers.

During the recent Greyhound operations, several cell phones were found in the jail.

Calub said that the range of high-end and expensive jamming devices can be adjusted so as not to affect other mobile subscribers in the vicinity.