The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) conducted Oplan Linis Piitan inside the city jail facilities for men and women at Barangay Bajumpandan in Dumaguete City but did not find anything contraband or items that pose a threat to security and safety.
Found on Monday were improvised heaters, improvised bladed weapons, lighters, spoons and fork, stones and empty bottles that are considered as nuisance for the female dormitory.
Strictly prohibited inside are cellphones, illegal drugs, bladed weapons and other contraband items, including the raising of cats and other animals.
Jail warden Maj. Pricel Arevalo says Oplan Linis Piitan is in line with the National Correctional Consciousness Week (NACOCOW) which is celebrated all over the country.
Also known as Operation Greyhound, Oplan Linis Piitan was also conducted to check on the worthiness of the facilities and spot cleaning of the surroundings.
Noted during the spot inspection were television sets, which according to Warden Arevalo are being controlled as to the hours they are allowed to turn them on.
With a capacity of 200 detainees, the district jail in Bajumpandan already has 590 inmates with 89-90 percent facing drugs charges.
Due to the congestion, the jail chapel is being utilized as a prisoners’ quarters and is vacated only during scheduled masses.
Based on experience, Arevalo disclosed that cats are being used by inmates as counter measures for K9 dogs brought inside the jail to sniff for illegal drugs.
He said that as soon as the K9 dogs are brought inside, the detainees would release their cats to distract the dogs because the instinct of the dog is to run after the cat, thus divert his attention instead of sniffing illegal drugs.
It is for this reason that Arevalo has also prohibited inmates from bringing in cats.
Arevalo also identified three gangs inside the district jail, namely, Batang Cebu, Batman and Batang City Jail. Members of the three gangs are distributed in the different cells, and so the advantage is that there are no riots inside the jail.
The disadvantage, however, is when they would plan for something else because the three groups have already established rapport among themselves.
Meanwhile, the female dorm headed by Warden Jail Inspector Erlinda Mendez is looking forward to transfer to a newly constructed jail facility, which is more spacious and very much secured, situated at the back of the district jail.
However, it is faced with an occupancy concern because it was built without a building permit and so it has no water and electrical connection and that the perimeter fence needs to be lifted higher.
It was built two to three years ago to address the concern of congestion of the female dorm that could only originally accommodate 50 inmates. At present, the total number of female inmates is placed at 115.
At the Negros Oriental Detention and Rehabilitation Center, the provincial warden has a different way of instituting security measures. Warden Franklin Culanag is leveling up with the detainees so he gets their respect.
For this, he is able to get inside the different cells by himself and talk to them about his policies.
In line with Oplan Liis Piitan, Culanag said he has started collecting bladed weapons from the possession of detainees, especially those engaged in livelihood activities, such as making Christmas “parols” or lanterns.
He allowed the use of bladed weapons for the parol-making but is strictly monitoring them. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)