CV is 3rd among regions with the most prisoners

Central Visayas has a total of 5,780 prisoners from its jails to land third among regions nationwide with the most number of prisoners, according to the January records of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. BJMP said the National Capital Region topped the list with 22,522 prisoners followed by Region 4-A (Southern Tagalog-Calabarzon) with 7,998.

The records also showed that the jail with the highest population of inmates is the Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center with 1,700. Next to it is the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center with at least 1,200, then the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center with about 1,000.

This figures may be due to the implementation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which prohibits an accused drug pusher from putting up bail regardless of the quantity of illegal drugs seized, said the BJMP.

A BJMP official has confirmed that the number of prisoners suddenly shut up following the enforcement of this new anti-illegal drug law.

Statistics obtained by The Freeman from the BJMP central office for last January showed that there were 2,384 inmates in Central Visayas who are facing drug-related cases.

But the downside of this development was that the BJMP would have to raise the budget for food of these inmates, said another official.

He said the current expense for Central Visayas to feed at least the inmates already comes close to P8 million. Each prisoner has a daily food budget of P30, divided into three meals. Those in the provincial jails of Cebu and Bohol, on the other hand, receive P35 daily each. - Rene U. Borromeo