By Chito Chavez
The Quezon City Council has authorized Mayor Herbert Bautista to earmark P29.9 million for the provision of food for detainees at the Quezon City Jail.
Quezon city Mayor Herbert Bautista s (Michael Varcas/MANILA BULLETIN)
Authored by Councilors Franz Pumaren and Raquel Malangen resolution 7163-2017 authorizes Bautista to appropriate funds to be dedicated for the food of detainees at the detention center.
Bautista has ordered the release of funds to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) upon the request of the Quezon City Jail management.
The P29.9 million is broken down as follows: rice, 4,020 sacks (P10 million); pandesal (P11.2 million); pan de coco (P2.1 million); kalihim (P2.1 million; monay (P2.1 million) and Spanish bread (P2.1 million).
Earlier, the Quezon City Council has approved an agreement between the city government and the BJMP transferring the city jail to a portion of the city’s property in Payatas.
City Resolution 7077-2017 ratified the Deed of Usufruct entered into by and between the city government and the BJMP for the use of a 2.4-hectare property which Quezon City acquired in 2015.
Under the usufruct agreement, the BJMP will be responsible for the construction of the buildings, structures, facilities and improvements on the property.
Also included in the master plan are the provisions for a health center, rehabilitation facility, fire station, food establishments and lodging area for visitors.
The new Quezon City Jail in Payatas can accommodate about 6,000 to 8,000 inmates.
The present jail, which is originally rated to accommodate 600 to 800 inmates, has become the symbol of the sorry state of detention facilities in the country after pictures and images of detainees packed like sardines in a can hogged international headlines.
The jail in Kamuning housed close to 3,000 detainees at the peak of its congestion.
Early this year, Mayor Bautista called out the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the BJMP to move faster in processing the construction of the new city jail in Payatas.
“We are very serious in our efforts to relocate the inmates in a facility that is compliant to human rights standards. While this is a national project, the local government is very dedicated and committed to support the BJMP with their initiatives to improve jail conditions. We hope the BJMP will do its share,” Bautista said.