3 jailers may face raps for allowing conjugal visits

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Three personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Region 6's female inmates dormitory in Gen. Luna St., this city, are now in trouble for allegedly allowing conjugal visits for their inmates.

Senior Jail Office 1 Leo Lacerna, BJMP-6 regional investigator, said they already wrapped up the investigation against BJMP female dormitory warden SJO4 Aimee Lopera and two duty jail guards.

Lacerna however temporarily withheld their recommendation pending the approval of BJMP-6 regional director Senior Supt. Ignacio Espante.

The incident stemmed from a surprised inspection conducted by the BJMP-6 Investigation and Prosecution Division following reports that female inmates were afforded with conjugal visit privileges.

Last May 2, a Monday, Lacerna and two other BJMP6 women employees caught eight men inside the four prison cells of eight women inmates. They were inside the tarima or covered bed bunks of the BJMP prisoners.

The women claimed that the men were their husbands but there was no single document, such as marriage contract, submitted to prove they were married couples.

Lacerna however said that whether married couples or not, female inmates are barred from enjoying conjugal visits.

"First, we don't want that they get pregnant while incarceration. We don't also have facilities fit for conjugal activities," he said.

The BJMP district jail in Brgy. Ungka, Jaro district of this city has a facility for conjugal visit so male inmates there are enjoying the privileges of having their wives inside a covered bed bunk.

At the BJMP in Gen. Luna, male jail guards are not even allowed to go inside the women inmates' prison cells. "We want to do away with intrigues and issues. That's why, it's our policy that only women jailguards will be permitted to go inside the female dormitory," Lacerna said.

On top of breaching BJMP's policy of no-conjugal visit for female inmates, the three jail guards have also violated the rule that Monday is a no-visitation day because it is supposed to be the inmates' wash day, said Lacerna.

As this developed, the three jail guards are still assigned at the BJMP female dormitory pending Espante's action on the results of the investigation. – THE FREEMAN