DOJ: Female BJMP facilities more congested than males'

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology detention facilities for female persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), among whom are victims of physical and sexual abuse, are more congested than that for male PDLs, a Department of Justice official said Friday.

DOJ Assistant Secretary Mico Clavano made the announcement ahead of the Jail Decongestion Summit scheduled for December 6 to 7, noting that 70% of BJMP detention facilities are overcrowded at an average congestion rate of 386%.

“For our women in conflict with the law (WICL), we want to reduce admission again and increase releases because there are many classifications of women in conflict with the law: we have minors; those sexually and physically abused which [should be provided relief] in line with our anti-violence against women campaign; pregnant WICLs; nursing WICLs; women with disabilities; and, of course, elderly women.

“We will be coming up, the Supreme Court, the DOJ, and the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) will be coordinating with regard to the new rules on WICLs and a manual for handling WICLs,” Clavano said.

The DOJ Assistant Secretary hoped that they would be able to achieve their mission in the jail decongestion summit with the help of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 

"We [are] hoping for the best outcome in the summit,” Clavano added.

Before the summit, Clavano said the Justice Department had reduced bail for indigent PDLs and raised the threshold of evidence required for filing cases to probable cause and prima facie evidence supported by a reasonable certainty of conviction to address decongestion problems.

“We’re hoping that with the new rules on bail, they don’t have to stay a day longer than they should. What should happen is that from the arraignment [date when the accused will make a pleading whether one is guilty or not], they should be able to post bail with the reduced amount of bail which is at maximum P10,000 for light offenses,” he said.

Clavano also said that under the National Building Code, the requirement is about 4.8 square meters per PDL.

“That [standard] is very far from what we’re seeing now in the jails,” Clavano said.

“If the facility is meant for 7,000, the PDLs staying there should be at 7,000 lang talaga, iyong nakakulong doon. So, we’re hoping to spread out the PDLs to different facilities, considering also the hometown of the PDL," he added. 

"Let’s say they are from Mindanao; we hope that the said PDL would be detained in a facility in Mindanao so the family and friends can visit. It is also a part of the reformation program.” — DVM, GMA Integrated News