Muslim law offenders in various jails in Metro Manila receive fair and just custodial attention from their jailers as they are given freedom to exercise religious beliefs and their basic human rights upheld.
In Manila City Jail, there is a mosque constructed for more than 300 detained Muslim inmates to go to perform their religious rites regularly, Warden Supt. Allan S. Iral said.
For Metro Manila District Jail (MMDJ) in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City led by Warden Supt. Edgar C. Bolcio, where 126 suspected Abu Sayyaf Group detainees are in custody, and in Quezon City Jail (QCJ) under Warden Supt. Ignacio Panti, Muslim inmates performs religious rites in designated places for their convenience.
Sr. Insp. Ellen Rocamora of QCJ said a Muslim jail guard is assigned to lead the sentinels taking charge of their hundreds of Muslim detainees for better coordination and understanding.
Detained Muslims in all BJMP jails nationwide are also being serve with a so-called "halal" foods during their meals and not like any other foods cook and prepared for other non-Muslim inmates, according to JMP officer-in-charge C. Supt. Antonio C. Cruz.
While taking care of the condition of Muslim inmates, "congestion" and "lack of personnel" which still are among the problems that confront the BJMP due to the rising jail population estimated at 13.4 percent growth every year, various programs are made to address these crises causing the jail population in NCR to reach more than 22,000 and 63,000 nationwide, JMP deputy chief for administration C. Supt. Armando M. Llamasares said.
One of the latest programs launched by BJMP is the holding of the two-day seminar on "Program Orientation on Justice Reforms: Sustained Pre-Integration Referral System and NCR Jail Inmates Welfare Development Program (IWDP) Environment Scanning," held recently at BJMP’s central office in Quezon City, sponsored by BJMP-NCR led by Supt. Serafin B. Barretto Jr. MMDJ Manila Sector lawyer Warden Supt. Rex Delarmente is one of the wardens coping with this situation as the number of his personnel manning the jail with 692 detainees is only 33 jail guards or a ratio of 1 guard for every 21 inmates.
The program introduced various IWDP integrated into the "PA-ReLEASE – Me Services," which stands for: Para-Legal Assistance; Religious and Guidance Counselling; Livelihood and Income Generation; Education and Vocational Skills Training; Advocacy and Adequate Basic Needs; Sports and Recreation; Enhancement through Therapeutic Community Modality; and Medical and Dental Service. (BJMP)
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