BBRC female inmates to get rice from Tomas

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña has approved the request to provide at least 120 sacks of rice to the female detainees of the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center.

This after Osmeña allowed the City Council to charge the expenses for the rice subsidy of the female detainees to the city’s share of the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation income.

Sr. Insp. Mary Jane Inopia, warden of the BBRC female dormitory, had requested Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. to facilitate for the release of their food subsidy from the city.

Last Wednesday, the City Council has decided to defer the deliberation of the issue for lack of time.

"It would really be of great help if the BBRC female detainees could avail of rice subsidy from the city," Inopia said.

The city used to provide over P200,000 worth of rice to all BBRC inmates every month, but it stopped when the officials of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology refused to cooperate with the city’s fact-finding team that looked into the report of wasted funds for the inmates’ food.

Allegations surfaced that the BJMP officials did not spend all the food allowance of the inmates.

Each detainee is provided with a daily meal subsidy of P30.

Osmeña said he is withholding food assistance to the BBRC until the BJMP officials will show transparency in how they spend the funds they receive from the national government. — Rene U. Borromeo/LPM