Jail wardens warned on Bawal ang Pangit in dealing with inmates

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union – Jail wardens nationwide must take extra caution in the performance of their duties and responsibilities and in dealing with inmates because they might be affected by the Bawal ang Pangit and I-dial si Dial project aimed to bring out the best service among them.

Jail Inspector Ricardo Fonseca, public information officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Region 1 based here, told The STAR yesterday that the twin projects are implemented vigorously in the Ilocos region.

Bawal ang Pangit doesn’t literally refer to ugly physical features of the wardens, Fonseca said. He said Pangit is an acronym for P-ag labag sa karapatan ng bilanggo, A-busado sa tung­kulin, N-angogotong o nangongo­rakot, G-umun sa bisyo, I-nstiga­dor ng gulo and T-amad at tutulog-tulog (or those who violate inmates’ rights, abusive, mulcter, with many vices, instigator of chaos and lazy or those who sleep on their jobs).

The program was implemented during then General Arturo Alip’s time as BJMP chief, he said.

I-dial si Dial refers to calling or texting BJMP Chief Director Rosendo Dial, who initiated it about two months ago when he assumed the post, to report perceived anomalies or abuses committed by jail wardens.

Two jail wardens in Panga­sinan have been recently affected by the project – Jail Senior Inspector Roque Cons­tan­tino Sison and Jail Inspector Narcisa Ramirez, wardens of male and female inmates, respectively, at the BJMP in Dagupan City.

Both Sison and Ramirez were relieved from their posts a month ago and their fate still hangs up to now.

A close friend of Sison however, said the project is unfair to wardens because even mere unverified text messages denouncing alleged anomalies of a warden can cause their relief.

“What if someone has an axe to grind against a warden?,” she asked.

She cited that Sison, a be­medalled warden, was unceremoniously sacked by mere text message sent by an anonymous person. Sison, who was assigned to the BJMP regional office pending investigation, opted to file his leave of absence for a month.

Ramirez, who was accused in a written complaint of the inmates she was handling due to alleged spoiled food fed to them and not granting them conjugal visits, among others, was also assigned at the regional office.

Fonseca said the result of the investigation, inspectorate and intelligence division of the regional office about the two’s case had been forwarded last week to their main office which shall also conduct a separate and unannounced probe for its final decision.