This good news came as a much sought Holiday season gift for the lucky persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-run facilities as the bureau now allows “no contact visitations’’ in its low risk jail facilities but under certain conditions.
“Ibig po sabihin niyan, ‘yung mga pasilidad natin na nasa low risk areas at may pasilidad na or area na for non-contact visitation, ay papayagan nang magkaroon ng dalaw kaya lamang po may ibang kondisyon (This means that our (BJMP) facilities in low risk areas with facilities or area for non-contact visitations will be allowed but with some conditions),’’ BJMP spokesperson Chief Inspector Xavier Solda said.
When pressed when this would start, Solda said: “We are still in the process of preparation for the granular opening of no contact visitation. If we will allow it or not in a particular jail, it will depend on the risk level in their area and the readiness of the facility to accommodate non contact visitors.’’
However, Solda disclosed that some BJMP facilities in Cebu, Cordillera, and Metro Manila have started with the pilot run for the non-contact visitation and are just waiting for the directives of their respective regional directors.
“The soonest time na makumpleto ng mga jail facilities natin ‘yung mga requirements para sa non-contact visitation, partiklular sa doon sa areas na dapat ay ma-designate natin, as well as the requirements for the health screening, then magre-resume na rin ang ating non-contact visitation (The soonest that our jail facilities complete the requirements, especially the areas we need to designate and the requirements for the health screening, then the non-contact visitation will resume),’’ Solda maintained.
Explaining further, Solda stressed that the visitors must bring their coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccination cards showing that they are fully vaccinated and their valid government-issued identification cards (IDs).
He added that the visitors also need to wait for their respective visiting schedules, a move described as vital to avoid long lines and for easier crowd control management during the visits.
In the reimposition of the granular opening of non contact visitation, Solda explained that only one family will be allowed to visit the PDLs for one hour but children are prohibited to join the visitations.
“Minors are not allowed. But since children ages 12 and up are being inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines, we might as well consider them,’’ Solda lamented.
To ensure a smoother enforcement of the policy, Solda said that the BJMP will also conduct orientations before the visit to impart to the families the specific regulations they need to follow during the non contact visitations.
The BJMP spokesperson revealed that designated BJMP facilities will put up physical barriers as a precautionary measure for the PDLs and their family members against COVID-19 during their visits.
“Tanging paguusap at pagkikita lamang ang posible (Only talking and seeing each other are possible),’’ he added.
Solda stressed that the PDLs in the BJMP facilities with insufficient space to enforce the non contact visitation policy would have to do with the electronic visitation (BJMP’s e-Dalaw) service.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the BJMP devised a development program known as E-Dalaw after the bureau imposed lockdowns in its jails and suspended face to face visitations since March 2020. (Chito A. Chavez)