Jail Management Transferred to Prison Bureau

Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado and Jail Director Rosendo Dial, chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) Friday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) transferring the management, supervision and control of the provincial jail to the bureau.

Aumentado said the move relieves the provincial government of the responsibilities of jail management, transferring it to the government agency that has the mandate to exercise direct supervision and control over all municipal, district and city jails and therefore has the technical capability and expertise to do so.

"Time has come for the jail to be handled by men and women trained for the purpose and dedicated to this task as part of the justice system," the governor said in his turnover speech at the Governor's Mansion Friday.

In stressing the bureau's task, he said the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center (BDRC) - to be called the Bohol District Jail under the MOA - should not only be the home for those penalized by law, but for those to be rehabilitated.

Three bills all seeking the transfer of the management of provincial and sub-provincial jails are now pending in Congress. For purposes of the MOA, the period from the actual turnover until such a law is passed, or until the BJMP shall have an approved budget for the operation of the proposed district jail will be called the transition period.

Under the MOA, the province shall allow the use of the existing facilities and equipments used in its operations and give all the rights to use the same to the BJMP by way of usufruct, free from liens and encumbrances.

For the transition period, the provincial government will still provide the manpower complement, and assign or detail personnel to augment those of the BJMP.

These personnel will be under the full operational control of the BJMP, under the joint administrative disciplinary action of both, with the BJMP recommending appropriate actions to the local government unit (LGU).

The province will also provide the BJMP with the amount it is currently

appropriating for the maintenance and operation of the jail for the subsistence allowance of the inmates and the maintenance and improvement of the jail facility, as well as continue to pay for the power and water bills even after the lapse of the transition period.

On the other hand, on top of accommodating all detainees currently under the custody of the BDRC, it will also keep convicted prisoners in designated provincial jail cells.

Subject to the Republic Act 9263 or the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and BJMP Professionalization Act of 2004 and the availability of equivalent rank items, BDRC personnel can transfer to the bureau. Assigned provincial jail personnel not qualified for absorption or appointment may be utilized in other offices of the LGU.

Acting Warden Lt. Col. Raul Mendez and J/Chief Supt. Doris Remedios-Dorigo, BJMP Region 7 director also signed the MOA as witnesses. Mendez will continue as Aumentado's consultant on peace and order, and executive officer for the Provincial Peace and Order Council and Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council but has specific instructions to provide guidance to BJMP-assigned incoming warden Felixberto Jagorin.

In his acceptance message, Dial said Bohol is the third province to turnover its jail to the BJMP, and expects more provinces to follow suit on the strength of a MOA in the absence of an approved law,

He assured the governor that in the safekeeping of inmates, BJMP's utmost responsibility is to treat them humanely. He also vowed "to improve the management always."

He thanked the governor and the LGU for their trust and confidence in the BJMP in assuming responsibility over BDRC.

For her part, Dorigo said she will see to it that BJMP will live up to the governor's expectations.