DILG: Contact sports allowed in jails

MANILA, Philippines — Some contact sports, including basketball, are allowed in jails, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) clarified on Sunday.

DILG spokesman and Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya issued the statement following a viral video of inmates at the Quezon City jail playing basketball and supposedly violating social distancing protocols.

“That is their only source of amusement. They are in a bubble in jail so it is not prohibited,” Malaya told reporters.

He also said jail officers undergo COVID-19 testing before reporting for duty.

The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology has suspended visitations at all BJMP facilities nationwide since COVID-19 started in March last year.