BJMP-7 supports transparency

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) – 7 is willing to post their expenses and donations in bulletin board throughout the region as part of the current administration’s thrust to promote transparency in governance. 

BJMP Assistant Regional Director Efren Nemeño told The FREEMAN that they are ready to publicly disclose all of their expenditures, including donations they receive from private entities and the Local Government Units.

“It is not a problem. We have been very public with our transaction and it has never been a secret because we send monthly reports to the central office,” Nemeño said in Cebuano.

BJMP-7’s assurance came after DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered all city, district and municipal jails should post their respective expenses for public scrutiny, including the donations they received.

Robredo said most inmates have spent a big part of their lives in jails, stressing that DILG would want to ensure that they benefitted directly from every single cent allotted for them.

Included in the post will be the total jail population, resource, fund and how the donations they received were used.

Nemeño said BJMP-7 is very blessed with generous donors who support their needs for additional jails in the region.

BJMP-7 is currently working on the construction of a new district jail in Argao town to cater to neighboring municipalities.

Nemeño also clarified that they also send funds to the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center and the Cebu City Operation Second Chance, which are under the control and supervision of the Cebu Provincial Government and Cebu City Government respectively. 

“I agree para makita ang tanan expenses ug pila pud ang funds nga intended to the agency, (I agree with the police so that the public will see all of the expenses and the funds intended for the agency.)” said Cebu City Jail Warden Johnson Calub.

Calub said they have not received any donations from any non-government organization since he assumed his post as warden.

“We received only operational expenses from the regional office (BJMP-7). Depende sa request kay regional level man ang allotment,” he said. 

Calub said that the pressing problem they have is the limited funds for their inmates.

He said the Cebu City Jail has a total of 2, 087 inmates which are given P50 per day or P15 to P20 for each meal.

As of the moment, BJMP-7 has roughly 70 municipal and city jails under their control in Central Visayas. These already include city jails in Cebu, Lapu-Lapu, Mandaue, Toledo and Danao among others. –(FREEMAN)