CALAMBA CITY (PIA) – The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in Calabarzon has committed to modernizing its jail facilities and upskilling its personnel to ensure the safety and welfare of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) under their care.
In an interview with PIA Calabarzon’s Sulong Calabarzon program, Jail Chief Supt. Hilbert Flor emphasized their commitment to enhancing the capacity of their jail personnel through a series of training in marksmanship and administrative functions, among others.
In an interview with PIA Calabarzon’s Sulong Calabarzon program, Jail Chief Supt. Hilbert Flor said the BJMP is enhancing the capability of its jail personnel in ensuring the security and safety of PDLs under their care. (PB/PIA 4A/BJMP Regional Office Calabarzon/FACEBOOK)
“We are continuously enhancing the capability of our jail personnel to ensure the security and safety of PDLs and our jail facilities. We are also modernizing our facilities by installing CCTVs to monitor our jail units,” Flor said.
As of December 2023, the BJMP Calabarzon recorded a 600 percent-congestion rate among its 64 operational city, district, and municipal jails. The majority of prisoners are facing drug-related cases equivalent to 70 percent of its total population, followed by crimes against property, crimes against persons, and other index crimes.
“We are coordinating with local government units (LGU) and other agencies to help us construct new and larger facilities where we can transfer the PDLs from our most congested jails,” he added.
The BJMP has also established its partnership with the courts to expedite hearings that will provide them the basis for the PDLs’ transfer to institutions managed by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) or release of qualified PDLs on recognizance and Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) mechanisms.
Although they have been denied their right to freedom, Flor clarified that PDLs still enjoy their rights to access their basic needs, including decent food, clothing, and the right to receive healthcare services.
PDLs can also exercise their constitutional right to vote provided that they are registered voters and their cases have yet to be decided by the courts, the jail official added.
The BJMP is also working with the Department of Health (DOH) to provide healthcare services to Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) under their care. (PB/PIA 4A/BJMP Regional Office Calabarzon/FACEBOOK)Flor added: “[The difference is that] PDLs no longer enjoy their right to freedom and go to places they wish. But they still enjoy basic human rights [such as] their access to necessities, food, housing, clothing, [and] medicines.”
To ensure their health, the BJMP is also working with the Department of Health (DOH) in providing healthcare services such as vaccines, medicines, bloodletting activities, and medical and dental missions.
“Our regional office has its [own] health service with nurses, [as well as] uniformed personnel who are also nurses that are assigned in our jail offices to monitor the health of [our PDLs].” (PB/PIA-4A)
Sulong Calabarzon is a weekly public affairs program hosted by the Philippine Information Agency Calabarzon, streaming live every Thursday, 2:00 PM via the Philippine Information Agency Calabarzon Facebook page.
