300 female inmates reunite with jailed family members on Christmas

Some 300 inmates of the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong were temporarily reunited with their husbands detained at the New Bilibid Prison on Christmas Day.

According to Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Officer-in-Charge Gregorio Catapang Jr., the visit was made for inmates to enjoy the holiday season.

“Gusto natin ma-feel nila na kahit nga PDL sila, may right sila na sumaya kahit Pasko, kahit nitong holidays na ma-enjoy nila ‘yung family nila,” he said in Katrina Son's report on “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday.

“‘Yan ‘yung nagpapalakas ng loob sa kanila na tapusin na ang kanilang sintensya at ‘wag gumawa ng hindi maganda, para sa ganon mapabilis ang laya nila,” he added.

(We want them to feel that although they are PDLs, they have a right to be happy during Christmas, the holidays, that they enjoy their family. This is what gives them strength to finish their sentence and not to do wrong, thus hastening their release.)

The program took an emotional turn, as among those who took part is a female inmate incarcerated for 20 years who reunited with her husband and her son, who are also both detained.

The BuCor, however, ensured strict security protocols after a visitor was reported to have tried to smuggle a sachet of illegal drugs into the facility.

“One woman visitor was caught in her possession a suspected drug — isang sachet po na nakalagay sa kaniyang ari. We will be filing appropriate charges against her,” CSI Sonny Del Rosario of the Public Information Office said in the same report.

(One woman visitor was caught with suspected drugs in her possession — one sachet hidden inside her genitalia. We will be filing appropriate charges against her.)

Del Rosario said that as part of the protocols in place, visitors will have to go through body searches, a scanner, a metal detector, and K9 inspection before being allowed entry into facilities. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA Integrated News