DILG orders inquiry into Caloocan City Jail riot

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered a thorough investigation on the riot that occurred inside the Caloocan City Jail which left six inmates dead and dozens of others wounded.

DILG spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) was particularly directed to initiate the inquiry.

“The DILG extends our sincerest condolences to the families of those who perished in this tragic incident. We assure the families of the PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) and the public that we will pursue a thorough investigation as to why and how this incident happened,” he said in a statement Tuesday.

According to Malaya, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año had already instructed BJMP chief Allan Iral to form a special investigating team from BJMP National Headquarters (NHQ) to find out what caused the incident.

The team should also identify those responsible for the riot and if there were any violations of standard operating procedures, he said. It was further tasked to recommend interventions to ensure that it will not happen again, he added.

The BJMP already deployed additional personnel from its National Capital Region (NCR) office to lessen the tension inside the Caloocan City Jail, Malaya also disclosed.

A temporary suspension of PDL activities has also been implemented while the movement of all PDLs has been restricted, the DILG official likewise revealed.

“The BJMP has already done Operation Greyhound inside the city jail to flush out hidden improvised weapons and other contrabands,” Malaya said, adding that they will get the testimonies of the jail officers on duty as well as other witnesses, as well as the CCTV footage, to get to the bottom of the incident.

Appeal for ‘newer, better’ city jail

The DILG then urged the Caloocan City government to expedite the donation of a tract of land for the construction of a new local jail.

“The current jail is congested and overcapacity. We need to transfer to newer and better facilities for the benefit of our PDLs,” Malaya pointed out.

“We appeal to the Caloocan LGU to fast track the donation of the lot intended for the new Caloocan City Jail,” he added.

Earlier, the BJMP said it had removed Supt. Neil Subibi from his post as Caloocan City Jail warden following the riot.

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