Robredo calls for transfer of provincial jail management to prison bureau

Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo called Tuesday for the transfer of management of jails under local government units to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) following the escape of 11 prisoners from the Maguindanao Provincial Jail in Cotabato City.

He said jails managed by provincial, city and municipal governments usually employ   untrained personnel and the facilities are ill-equipped, making them vulnerable to jailbreaks.

“Today’s jailbreak that transpired at the Maguindanao Provincial Jail in Cotabato City is a manifestation that the supervision, management and control of local jails under the LGUs must be placed under the BJMP management,” Robredo said in a press statement.

“If we could place all these local jails under the BJMP, its management would be professionalized. At the BJMP, we have professional or highly trained jail guards and jailbreak incidents are either minimal or will have zero escape incidents,” he said.

“Also, the LGUs will be unburdened of the responsibility of paying for the salaries of the local jail warden and staff, meal expenses for the inmates, and being blamed if there would be jailbreaks or riots inside the detention facility,” he added.

Robredo said he felt “saddened” by the Maguindanao jailbreak because it happened only a day after the BJMP celebrated its 21st anniversary, which was attended by President Aquino at the PNP headquarters at Camp Crame on Monday.

Eleven prisoners, including a dangerous bandit leader, broke out of the provincial jail of Maguindanao at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday by sawing off the iron grills of a window in the toilet, officials said.

One of the escapees was identified as Datucan Samad, also known as “Kumander Lastikman,” considered a dangerous felon linked to multiple murder, extortion and robbery-holdup cases.

Citing initial police reports, Robredo identified the others as Anwar Maguid, Dahad Daginan, Abel Unsing, Kagkim Omar, Bong Usop, Siki Pilas, Ogie Kimbaw, Ampoy Kimbaw, Saipuna Baulo and Basco Puas.

Robredo said it was still unclear whether any of the escapees was connected to the infamous massacre of 57 persons, mostly journalists, in Maguindanao in November 2009, the worst election-related violence in the country’s history.

Reports reaching Camp Crame indicated that the jailbreak occurred at 1:30 a.m. when the inmates slipped out of the jail located on PC Hill in Cotabato City by cutting the iron grill of the toilet with a hacksaw.

“A hot pursuit operation is now being conducted” a combined force from the provincial and local police, the Philippine National Police Special Action Force, the Philippine Marines, among other units, according to a report from the Cotabato City police.