Manila Bulletin
PNP records show 13 of 17 regional police offices have congested detention facilities
PNP records show 13 of 17 regional police offices have congested detention facilities
PNP records show 13 of 17 regional police offices have congested detention facilities
Published Apr 14, 2018 05:58 pm
By Martin Sadongdong
The alarming issue on overcrowded jails in the country continues to cause public concern as recent records from the Philippine National Police (PNP) showed thirteen of the 17 regional police offices have congested detention facilities.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Data from the PNP's Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) showed that Calabarzon Police Regional Office (PRO-4A) has the highest congestion rate (45.35 percent), with 78 of its 172 custodial centers deemed overcrowded.
Following the PRO-4A is the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), with 29 of its 70 custodial centers also packed (41.43 percent).
The data as of March 31, 2018 were released by the PNP's Public Information Office (PIO) to the media last night.
The other regions in the list include: Central Visayas (PRO-7) with 36.71 percent congestion; Central Luzon (PRO-3) 29.94 percent; Soccsksargen (PRO-12) 10 percent; Davao (PRO-11) 8.57 percent; and Western Mindanao (PRO-9) 7.14 percent.
Also overcrowded are Bicol region (PRO-5) with 5.93 percent congestion rate; Mimaropa (PRO-4B) 5.56 percent; Cordillera Administrative Region (Caraga/PRO-13) 4.67 percent; Ilocos region (PRO-1) 2.96 percent; Northern Mindanao (PRO-10) 2.43 percent; and Western Visayas (PRO-6) 1.00 percent.
The four regional police offices which are not included in the list are the Cordillera Administrative Region (PRO-COR); Cagayan Valley (PRO-2); Eastern Visayas (PRO-8) and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-ARMM).
"The regions which are not included in the list are not congested," the PNP-PIO said.
The PNP, through its spokesperson Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, has already said they are addressing the issue by seeking for a bigger budget which will enable them to build more detention facilities.
"We are doing our best to include in the proposed budget the construction of new police station buildings with improved detention facilities," he said.
Bulalacao also mentioned that they are ensuring close coordination among investigators and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the local courts to declog the police stations.
"Prisoners with commitment orders are already being transferred to BJMP facilities to declog the detention cells of the police stations," he noted.
"Our investigators are also closely coordinating with the various courts to expedite the release of commitment orders so that all those who have been convicted could already be transferred to the BJMP detention facilities which are much bigger than the detention facilities of the police stations," he added.
The issue on jail congestion was once again brought up when an inmate at the Pasay City Police Station died on Wednesday while six others collapsed due to extreme heat inside their packed cells.
(MANILA BULLETIN)
Data from the PNP's Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) showed that Calabarzon Police Regional Office (PRO-4A) has the highest congestion rate (45.35 percent), with 78 of its 172 custodial centers deemed overcrowded.
Following the PRO-4A is the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), with 29 of its 70 custodial centers also packed (41.43 percent).
The data as of March 31, 2018 were released by the PNP's Public Information Office (PIO) to the media last night.
The other regions in the list include: Central Visayas (PRO-7) with 36.71 percent congestion; Central Luzon (PRO-3) 29.94 percent; Soccsksargen (PRO-12) 10 percent; Davao (PRO-11) 8.57 percent; and Western Mindanao (PRO-9) 7.14 percent.
Also overcrowded are Bicol region (PRO-5) with 5.93 percent congestion rate; Mimaropa (PRO-4B) 5.56 percent; Cordillera Administrative Region (Caraga/PRO-13) 4.67 percent; Ilocos region (PRO-1) 2.96 percent; Northern Mindanao (PRO-10) 2.43 percent; and Western Visayas (PRO-6) 1.00 percent.
The four regional police offices which are not included in the list are the Cordillera Administrative Region (PRO-COR); Cagayan Valley (PRO-2); Eastern Visayas (PRO-8) and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PRO-ARMM).
"The regions which are not included in the list are not congested," the PNP-PIO said.
The PNP, through its spokesperson Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, has already said they are addressing the issue by seeking for a bigger budget which will enable them to build more detention facilities.
"We are doing our best to include in the proposed budget the construction of new police station buildings with improved detention facilities," he said.
Bulalacao also mentioned that they are ensuring close coordination among investigators and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the local courts to declog the police stations.
"Prisoners with commitment orders are already being transferred to BJMP facilities to declog the detention cells of the police stations," he noted.
"Our investigators are also closely coordinating with the various courts to expedite the release of commitment orders so that all those who have been convicted could already be transferred to the BJMP detention facilities which are much bigger than the detention facilities of the police stations," he added.
The issue on jail congestion was once again brought up when an inmate at the Pasay City Police Station died on Wednesday while six others collapsed due to extreme heat inside their packed cells.