Some inmates in North Cotabato jail mentally ill

KIDAPAWAN CITY, Philippines—Some 20 inmates of the North Cotabato District Jail in Barangay (village) Amas here have been found to be suffering from mental disorders, the deputy jail warden said Thursday.

Inspector Luckymer Natuel did not specify the mental disorders and said the inmates have not shown any violent tendencies so far.

“Yes we have inmates here who are suffering from mental disorder and we are attending to their needs,” he said.

Natuel said the inmates were already suffering from mental disorders prior to their commitment to the provincial jail.

He said their condition could worsen and that they need to be regularly attended to by psychiatrists and psychologists.

Natuel said the overcrowding at the jail could worsen the condition of the inmates.

There are at least 730 inmates at the facility, which was designed to accommodate only a much smaller number.

“These persons should be separated so they can’t inflict harm on others,” Natuel said.

North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza said the provincial government has appropriated P2 million for the construction of more cells to accommodate the growing number of inmates.

She said the additional cells could be completed this year.

Mendoza said because the provincial government lacked specialists to monitor the condition of the mentally ill inmates, the provincial government is spending for their checkups at the Davao Mental Hospital in Davao City.