WAR ON DRUGS IMPACT

THE war on drugs waged by the Duterte administration since July 1 last year compounded to the already serious congestion at the Dagupan City District Jail under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

What was built for 300 inmates is now packed to the brim with 1,179 inmates.

J/Sr. Inspector Randy Batay-an, assistant jail warden, revealed at least 70 percent of the inmates detained in the facility are involved in drug-related cases, and awaiting trial of their respective cases in various regional trial courts in Dagupan City.

Many of the inmates had been in jail for an average of three years, a few for as long as five years and all others one year or less.

An estimated 300 of these are from Dagupan, 200 of whom were arrested during P/Supt. Christopher Abrahano’s watch as chief of police and another 100 during the term of his successor, P/Supt. Neil Miro when the war on drugs reached its peak.

More inmates from Dagupan were arrested recently when P/Supt. Franklin Ortiz became OIC chief of police starting April 8, 2017.

“We cannot do anything If the court says an accused has to be kept in our facility even if it is already congested, we have to admit him or her. And we just do everything we can to make the stay of the accused bearable,” said Batay-an.

He clarified that compounding the overcrowding at the district jail is the lack of BJMP manpower as he pointed out that the ratio between the custodian to the inmates is far more than the ideal ratio of one custodian to seven inmates.

Lack of personnel is not confined to BJMP Dagupan alone but also in other BJMP-run facilities like in Burgos, Balungao, Urdaneta City and San Carlos City.

The Dagupan district jail, located adjacent to the Tondaligan Park in Dagupan City, is a holding facility for accused whose cases are still being heard in courts. Upon their sentences, the inmates are brought to the National Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa.

However, only an average of 10 sentenced prisoners are transferred to NBP monthly and only those sentenced to three years and those sentenced below three years stay at the local BJMP till they serve their full sentence or get probation.

The BJMP district jail also accepts inmates from Mangaldan, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Manaoag, Mapandan, Sta. Barbara and Calasiao.

Batay-an said the newly constructed two-storey multi-purpose building inside the jail premises provides four dorms that accommodate 100 inmates per dorm, partly alleviated the situation.

It was Jail Warden Kenneth Bid-ding who sought the funding for the new building from the BJMP national office.

But seen as the long-term solution to the congestion is for local governments to build their own jails for inmates coming from their towns, Batay-an said.

But so far, only San Fabian is set to build its own jail.

“We hope the LGUs of Mangaldan, San Jacinto, Manaoag, Mapandan, Sta. Barbara and Calasiao will do likewise,” Batay-an.

In Dagupan, Mayor Belen Fernandez is also seeking the relocation of the BJMP facility to prevent the recurrence of a sanitation crisis in the area caused by an overflow of wastes from the septic tank and channeled to the Lingayen Gulf.

This was, however, temporarily remedied with the construction of a bigger septic tank by the present jail administration.

Batay-an thanked the Dagupan City Health Office for doing medical missions inside the facility every month and helped contain spread of illnesses and diseases among the inmates.

Though congested, the Dagupan BJMP jail still bagged the BJMP’s seal “Sustenadong Paglilinis ng Bilangguan” for efficient implementation of livelihood programs for inmates, conduct of offensive operations against illegal drugs and other programs like segregation of inmates and none existence of so-called “kubol” or huts for affluent inmates.

Ongoing livelihood training by the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for inmates is baking and pastry production.

Inmates who did not finish elementary and high school are encouraged to take Alternative Learning System (ALS) and the College Equivalency Test for the undergraduate inmates.

Some inmates earn from the sale of handicrafts they produce. (Leonardo Micua)

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