Seven in 10 personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management Penology were already reassigned to different provincial jails in the region as part of the routine procedure.
Speaking in yesterday’s AFP-PNP press conference held at the local hotel, Jail Insp. Edo Lobenia, the BJMP XI spokesperson said, “We relieved 70 percent personnel and these were replaced by 70 percent personnel coming from the different jail facility.”
This, he said, was to prevent inmates and jail officials from being too familiarized.
Lobenia said the jail personnel came from Tagum, Panabo, and Digos.
“The jail warden is new and he already established innovations and reforms,” he added.
In the wake of the positive drug test involving a jail official, Lobenia said that it’s an isolated case. He said they don’t tolerate any illegal activity and an administrative case has already been filed against Jail Chief Insp. Roman Hernandez.
“Even though you are an official with high position or whoever are you in the BJMP, if you are really involved and there is evidence that is conclusive, automatically outright we’ll dismiss our personnel,” Lobenia said.
Meanwhile, he said the BJMP facility has a 600% congestion rate.
Right now, there are 3,000 inmates inside in a building designed to accommodate 500.
Lobenia also reiterated that the jail is not the source of drugs seized during the greyhound operation last Sunday.
Antonio Rivera, director of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency XI, said the greyhound operation will continue inside the jail. “They ask our presence during the operation since we are also using our K9 team and now there are four pending requests from Digos city jail, Panabo, and Samal,” he added.
