Minor offenders maltreated in jail?
Maltreatment has reportedly prompted seven children in conflict with the law to bolt out of Operation Second Chance last Monday night.
Of the seven who escaped, two were recaptured and are now in the custody of their parents. The other escapee, who turned himself over to councilman Ildy Ygonia of barangay Calamba, yesterday confirmed that he and his six companions were maltreated while they were detained inside the isolation cell of the jail facility.
Councilor Gerardo Carillo said that during the interrogation, the 17-year-old boy revealed they could no longer bear the maltreatment they’d experienced from jail guards.
The boy said that while in isolation, they were made to kneel. After that their soles were hit with iron bars.
“It seems that the abuse perpetrated by the BJMP [Bureau of Jail Management and Penology] guards is the reason why they bolted Second Chance,” Carillo said.
He added that they already have a copy of the affidavit signed by the boy for the filing of child abuse case against the BJMP personnel.
The councilor said the boy was able to identify three of the guards who allegedly maltreated them, but he refused to reveal their names pending the filing of the case.
Meanwhile,
Margot has been instrumental to the putting up of the facility few years ago and instituting reforms in the way the CICLs are rehabilitated.
But Senior Insp. Jennifer Joyce Abar, jail warden of Operation Second Chance, said that it is not their intention to hide the incident but they did not report it right away because they are hoping that they could recapture the escapees within 24 hours.
“It’s a lapse on my part, but it’s not my intention to hide it,” she said, adding that she even went with one of the retrieval teams to go after the escapees.
She said the incident happened shortly before
Abar said the CICLs confined at the isolation room of the facility escaped by sawing off the metal bars of their cell using triangular blade, which they have been using in their woodworking workshops.
She added that there were actually eight of the children confined at the isolation room, but one of them failed to scale the fence after the guard discovered the incident. Two of the escapees were recaptured on Tuesday afternoon and four others are still at large, but Carillo said they already have an idea where they are.
Carillo said the social workers and house parents who knew of the incident, but failed to inform the City Hall would also be investigated.
Carillo, Margot, Abar and the social workers were present in a press conference at the office of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Disappointed by what happened, Mayor Osmeña immediately ordered for the suspension of the P1,000 monthly incentive of the BJMP personnel assigned at the Operation Second Chance.
The mayor also said that he would wait for the findings of the investigation before he would make any recommendation.
“It’s very clear that they have no incentive, so why give them incentive allowance?” he said. “I’ve been saying this before and I’ll state it again that BJMP is one of the most corrupt agencies in the
Concerned about the safety of the remaining four escapees, both Carillo and Margot appealed to them to surrender and assured they would be safe.
“I appeal to the CICLs…if they fear for their safety, they will be safe. It’s not also safe for them to be out because the community knows where they are from. Or may be some of them don’t know where to go. They can either contact me, councilor Carillo or the barangay officials,” Margot said.
Carillo said they are considering filing a motion in court to place the escapees and those recaptured in a “Balay Pasilungan” or other shelter so they would not be detained back at the Operation Second Chance. - Wenna A. Berondo/MEEV
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