Jails in Iloilo City undermanned, but overcrowded with inmates

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Region 6 revealed that jails, under its supervision, are overcrowded with detainees, similar to last year’s.

BJMP-6 regional director Senior Superintendent Rex Delarmente said that, based on the June 2017 report of the agency, there are 856 inmates inside BJMP’s Iloilo City District Jail (ICDJ) at Barangay Ungka in Jaro district of Iloilo City.

The number is 474.5 percent higher than its ideal capacity of only 159 inmates, majority of them are facing drug-related cases, he said, and that only 208 are facing non-drug-related cases.

In the case of the BJMP’s Iloilo City District jail (female dormitory) in Gen. Luna St., City Proper district, there are 209 inmates, and 190 of them, or about 90 percent, are facing drug-related cases, Delarmente said.

The BJMP, as early as last year, foresaw that jail facilities will get even more congested given the rate arrests are being made, particularly on illegal drugs.

Thus BJMP-6 mulled of turning down additional detainees in its ICDJ in Ungka and have them accommodated instead at the Iloilo Provincial Jail (IPJ) at Barangay Nanga in Pototan, Iloilo.

Given the number of inmates and the facilities that could houses them, the BJMP-6 hierarchy was compelled to house some inmates at the covered multi-purpose building. Some were staying at the infirmary while others were house at the ALS (Alternative Learning System) building, which was donated by the Department of Education.

Given the PNP’s aggressive campaign against illegal drugs, both the police and the BJMP expected more arrests and inmates.

To further decongest BJMP facilities, BJMP-6 announced last year that they are planning to revive several detention centers in Iloilo province. These are found in Oton town in the first district; New Lucena and Leon towns in the second district; Maasin in the third district; Barotac Nuevo in the fourth district; and Sara and Estancia in the fifth district.

This year, Delarmente however said they are yet to operate a single additional jail facility. It is expected that they would open up the district jails in New Lucena, Leon, and Maasin in Iloilo province.

He said they are planning to transfer some detainees from BJMP-Ungka to these district jails when these become operational. BJMP-6 also expected to transfer the district jail in Guimaras to its new home located at Barangay Alaguisoc in Jordan town.

The Antique district jail will also be transferred to a new location but still in San Jose town. Originally, BJMP-6 used to operate 54 jail facilities all over the region. Later, it was trimmed down to 35. But with the Negros Occidental now part of the Negros Island Region, it further went down to only 19.

Ironically, the jail facilities in the towns of Leon, Maasin and New Lucena, all in Iloilo; Libertad in Antique; and Jordan and Nueva Valencia in Guimaras are left unused. COA said government shelled out P3.294 million to construct these unused jail facilities. (FREEMAN)