Jail wardens told: Shape up or else...

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology officer-in-charge Chief Superintendent Arturo Alit issued a stern warning to all jail wardens to shape up or be replaced by junior officers who can perform their jobs better.

Alit issued the warning following the recent escape from the Quezon City jail of Onofre Surat, principal suspect in the killing of Mark Bacalla; and 18 who bolted the municipal jail of General Mariano Alvarez, Cavite.

In his report to Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina, Jr. and Undersecretary for Peace and Order, Wencelito Andanar, the BJMP head also disclosed he has created a probe team to look deeper into the causes of recent jailbreaks in BJMP jails.

The team will be composed of investigators from the BJMP central office’s inspection unit, legal service unit and the directorate for operations.

Alit stressed it has to look deeper into the real causes of jailbreaks. He said most of the time overcrowding is blamed for the escape of inmates but the real causes should be determined to find lasting solutions to the problem.

Alit directed jail wardens to review the procedures in securing inmates and jails to prevent jailbreaks and other untoward incidents. He said jail wardens should know procedures by heart.

"I don’t see any reason why inmates could escape if proper procedures in securing them are followed. Those who disobey procedures will have to go," he said.

On July 1, Alit relieved Chief Inspector Alberto Santos as warden of the Quezon City Jail for the escape of Surat. Superintendent Primitivo Benitez replaced him.

He also ordered the relief of Inspector Arnaldo Jalimbawa, warden of General Mariano Alvarez Municipal Jail, after 18 inmates escaped before midnight of July 2.

Alit said he would order BJMP jail wardens to undergo reorientation in securing inmates and jails and directed Senior Superintendent Leonardo Encinas, chief of the directorate for operations, to schedule the reorientation.

Meanwhile, Alit assailed insinuations that he has something to do with the escape of inmates from BJMP jails in the first half of this year. He said he assumed his post as officer-in-charge of BJMP only last March 30.