Tension grips tacloban jail; BJMP resolves inmates? protests, noise barrage

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines — At least 836 inmates, members of the Batang City Jail and Batang Samar Leyte gangs, at the Tacloban City District Jail yesterday morning staged a noise barrage in protest against a new policy on visitation.

The new policy prevents inmates to receive their visitors in their respective cells and instead meet them at designated areas at the multi-purpose hall within the jail compound. Up to 35 percent of the inmates usually receive visitors every day.

Tension rose during the close to two hours noise barrage, causing worries to relatives of the inmates outside the jail.

It also prompted forces from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Tacloban City Public Battalion, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and troops from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology to secure the City Jail for the safety of jail personnel and the detainees.

Three representatives from the Commission on Human Rights-Region 8 office, headed by administrative officer Gerry Margallo, also responded to the request of the inmates. Margallo said they came to the jail to observe and get the necessary information on what causes the noise barrage and the protests.

BJMP-8 Regional Director, Senior Superintendent Efren Nemeño, who lead the negotiations came out later on to announce to the public and the media that the talks ended positively. They came up with an amicable solution with the inmates finally agreeing to support and cooperate with the main purpose of the new policy, which he said was intended to flush out contrabands, especially illegal drugs.

"We dont have to follow their (inmates) caprices; instead we have to implement the bureau's policy of total cleansing in terms of illegal drugs, which have been a problem in all jails around the region. I told them this is for their reformation and rehabilitation,” Nemeño said.

Nemeño belied reports that inmates were complaining of poor ration of foods, contending that the increase of daily food allowance—from P50 to P60—had brought changes resulting in better food for them these days.

Some changes in jail policies are implemented, under the new leadership of Superintendent Peter Bongat, who replaced Superintendent Benedicto Catodio who was ordered relieved from his post after several sachets of shabu were found in a Greyhound operation by the PDEA and the BJMP in the cells.

Nemeño said intelligence reports showed that girlfriends of some inmates are regular visitors just for drug session inside the inmates’ cell.

The BJMP-8 already identified at least five players in the drug operation inside the Tacloban City Jail. Once they get court orders, these identified persons should be transferred immediately to other jail facilities, Nemeño added. (FREEMAN)