By Chito Chavez
Despite the major water crisis in areas of Metro Manila and nearby areas served by concessionaire Manila Water, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) maintained on Thursday that it has no such problem citing the ample supply of water for the persons deprived of liberty (PDL) in its jail facilities.
BJMP spokesman Chief Inspector Xavier Solda attributed this to the bureau’s anticipation of water supply woes that is normally felt during the dry spell.
He cited the BJMP has already coordinated with the water concessionaires and suppliers in the country in advance to minimize water supply woes in the BJMP’s 416 jail facilities.
In a press briefing, Solda said “we assure the public, the families ng PDLs na enough ‘yung supply ng tubig sa jail facilities natin. Napaghandaan siya ng BJMP,” he said.
Aside from this Solda said the BJMP also had established links with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for assistance in water supply for its facilities.
“We have water drums to stock water for the use of PDLs in the BJMP run jail facilities,’’ Solda said.
However, Solda clarified that as part of its disciplinary methods, “water supply inside each BJMP jail facility is available only at certain specific hours’’.
Solda stressed the importance of having a steady water supply inside the BJMP-run jails saying it is key to being hygienic and avoiding various ailments.
The BJMP spokesman noted since last December the agency has purchased medicines for PDLs afflicted with common summer diseases.