A Senate panel has approved the bill seeking to give the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) control over provincial and sub-provincial jails.

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chair of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said a law that seeks to transfer the control and supervision of provincial and sub-provincial jails to the BJMP is necessary to help address the issue of a fragmented jail service in the country.

According to Dela Rosa, the uneven jail management service in the country has resulted to difficulty in establishing a national standard in the operational management of all local jails in the country, which has been detrimental to the inmates and persons deprived of liberty.

“Provinces usually do not prioritize jail services as they have many basic services like health and education,” said Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief and Bureau of Corrections director.

The senator said the measure, Senate Bill No. 1100, will help these provincial and sub-provincial jails meet the required international standards of jail management.

“Most of our provincial jails are in a dismal state, overcrowded and poorly sanitized. Some do not meet international standards bordering on inhumane conditions,” he noted.

Aside from Dela Rosa, other senators who filed similar measures include Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri (Senate Bill No. 1332) and Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. (Senate Bill No. 1207).

Under the current jail system, the BJMP has jurisdiction over city, municipal and district jails, while the provincial government has control over provincial and sub-provincial jails.

Governors supported the proposed move, as they share the challenges faced by local government units (LGUs) in managing provincial jails, especially on the issue of overcrowding.

Zubiri said he is confident that the measure would not only help address jail congestion but also help LGUs allocate more funds to other important programs.

“LGUs spend so much resources just to maintain provincial jails so it makes sense that these resources would instead go to anti-poverty measures, to other infrastructure if these provincial jails are transferred to the BJMP,” Zubiri said.

Dela Rosa said the panel will also take into account the concern raised by provincial jail employees and ensure that there would be a transition period that would help them get absorbed by the BJMP.

“We will given them a longer transition period so that those who want to be a full time jail officer can be given enough time to acquire a bachelor’s degree,” Dela Rosa said.

“Once they graduate, and they are qualified, they can be absorbed,” said Dela Rosa.