DILG chief orders inventory of jails

Interior Secretary Jose Lina yesterday ordered an inventory of jails with a huge population of drug offenders in a bid to prioritize those needing expansion and renovation.

He issued the directive in view of the expected surge of the jail population due to the government’s renewed campaign against illegal drugs.

The order for an inventory was contained in a memorandum to DILG Undersecretary for Peace and Order Mariuls Corpus and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) OIC-Director Arturo Alit.

Likewise, Lina directed Alit to immediately submit to him the listing of inventoried jails with the most number of inmates facing drug-related charges.

He said part of the P1 billion fund set aside by President Arroyo in their anti-drug war would be used in the construction and expansion of jails with big population of inmates facing drug charges.

Lina said the government’s strict implementation of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 necessitated the BJMP to find ways and means to promptly address the worsening congestion among its district, city and municipal jails.

As of May 2003, 24 percent of the 45,227 inmates in city, municipal and district jails face drug charges and the influx of inmates with such case increased at a monthly rate of 3.44 percent, which is the highest rate of increase compared to other crimes or offenses. – Pamela Samia