BJMP has funds for new jails, but no lots

Unfulfilled promises of lot donations have been hampering government efforts to solve the problem on overcrowded detention facilities in key Metro Manila cities. Senior Inspector Roberto Gotico of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology’s (BJMP) said that while there is a budget for the construction of additional detention cells, they cannot start the project because they have to rely on lot donations from local government units. “We have requested for lots as early as 2007, but we have not been given any," he said. Gotico added that they fear the P200-million budget for the construction of new facilities in Quezon City, Malabon and Taguig may be reverted to the National Treasury if not used. The Malabon facility, according to Gotico, has been completed while the one in Taguig is still ongoing. The planned Quezon City facility, however, is still “on paper." BJMP records show the National Capital Region (NCR) as having the most number of inmates, with 21,000 of the 58,000 detainees nationwide locked there. The 800-capacity Quezon City jail, for example, has a population of 2,800. “Our inmates observe ‘shifts’ in sleeping," Gotico added, admitting that inmates lack adequate sleeping space with the overflowing number of occupants in one cell. ICRC help The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has taken cognizance of the plight of Filipino inmates in overcrowded detention facilities not just in the NCR but all over the country. Jean-Daniel Tauxe, head of the ICRC delegation in Manila, said the congestion has resulted to unacceptable living conditions of the detainees. “We have seen that the overcrowding of jails and prisons has serious consequences on detainees’ living conditions and health," said Tauxe. “In partnership with government officials and national agencies, we are planning and implementing changes for the benefit of all detainees." Among the programs of the ICRC were renovation projects in 22 jails with over 11,000 inmates in 2009, and the supply of medical items and equipment to seven prison infirmaries. It also extended immediate health care assistance to 120 detainees, as well as provided instruction for over 60 people in internationally recognized standards relating to water, sanitation, hygiene, and living conditions. With the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC), the ICRC also facilitated family visits for 312 inmates held far from their homes last year. - KBK, GMANews.TV