The Commission on Audit (COA) found that persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in the prison facilities of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) were, in many instances, served with lesser quantity of food and lesser nutritional value than those contracted with suppliers.

Also, COA discovered that Muslim and Seventh Day Adventist PDLs were served strips of pork despite their dietary restrictions.

These were some of the findings of COA after it reviewed the Food and Subsistence Program (FSA) for PDLs confined in all prison facilities at BuCor-Main from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021, with a cost per day of P61.57 to P61.97 per PDL. The contract was between BuCor and AFS Eatery.

The only exception was the NBP Maximum Security Compound - South for the period of Feb. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021, since the contract went to Yovel East Research Development, Inc. for P58.88 per day, COA said.

It said that BuCor's FSA has a Ten-Day Cycle Menu for persons deprived of liberty (PDL) with special dietary requirements, such as those who are diabetic and have pulmonary tuberculosis, among others. The provisions of the FSA provide meals with nutritional value and with standard serving portions, it said.

The FSA also provides that Muslim and Seventh Day Adventist PDLs shall be given food in accordance with their religious practices.

However, COA said that the cooked food delivered by AFS eatery on various dates did not comply with the Ten-Day Cycle Menu. The menu was replaced with other cooked food which has lesser nutritional value and of lesser quantity.

In fact, the COA said that only one cup of steamed rice was served for breakfast and lunch for Muslim and Seventh Day Adventist inmates on Jan. 8 and May 8, 2021. Further review of the food served to them by AFS Eatery showed that some of the menu's ingredients included strips of pork, which is contrary to the provisions of the FSA, it said.

"Had the officers of the Bureau monitored the strict implementation of its internal controls and the employees performed their respective duties, functions and responsibilities, the above deviations and/or violations of the caterers could have been prevented and immediately stopped," the COA audit said.

The COA recommended that all concerned officers of the BuCor check all the provisions of the FSA with their food providers and impose penalties should these be violated.