GOV’T TO POUR MORE RESOURCES IN JAILS

        Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo V. Puno announced the government will pour more resources into the country’s jails particularly those under the administrative control and supervision of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.  Puno quoted Department of Budget and Management Secretary Rolando G. Andaya Jr following the latter’s declaration during the BJMP 16th anniversary celebration recently, where the DBM Secretary was the guest of honor and speaker.

        Bureau of Jail Management and Penology chief, Director Armando M. Llamasares, on the other hand, said Andaya’s pronouncement is a shot in the arm that will strengthen the spirit, boost the morale, and confidence of jail personnel.

        Andaya, in his speech, said that while the budgets of most of the government agencies have remained in old levels, the one for BJMP has been climbing steadily, with usual increments.  He cited the two increases given to the government employees in the past 18 months, which the BJMP also enjoyed the P1,000 a month additional compensation  (AdCom) given starting January 2006 and the P1,200 in allowances to uniformed personnel which takes effect this month.

        The DBM Secretary said that while the government put more in jail personnel’s envelopes, it will also pour more resources into BJMP-manned jails.

        Puno said, Andaya has noted the deplorable condition of jails being aggravated by overcrowding of inmates and the necessity of procuring additional jail guards and equipment.

        The DBM have included the BJMP’s requirements in their forward estimates for 2008 with Andaya expressing confidence that these requirements find their way to the 2008 budget.

        Included in BJMP’s requirement is the creation of 500 new jail officers position at a cost of nearly P100 million in initial year salaries alone; provision of P30 million for new firearms; purchase of at least 10 prisoners vans and 10 BJMP buses or even more provision of some P37 million for new facilities and the procurement of 5,000 handcuffs, Andaya said.

        DBM is also earmarking a minimum of P1.114 billion for prisoner’s subsistence allowance, Andaya added.

        Next year, BJMP jail population will be over 80,000, as offenders being committed increases.  This does not include prisoners in the Bureau of Corrections facilities which also number in several thousands.

        Andaya recognized the fact that the government spends more per prisoner annually that what it spends per citizen for health or for what we spend for in sending a student to a high school in a year.

        He stressed, however, that budgetary infusion alone won’t solve jail congestion.  There is a need to speed up de-clogging of our jails through a speedy disposition of inmates cases by our courts.  He also cited the need to institute judicial reforms.