Drug offenders worsen congestion at Caloocan City jail

The congestion problem at the Caloocan City Jail was compounded with the deluge of incarcerated drug offenders.

"We are now almost 300 percent congested. And that’s one of our main concerns," Senior Jail Officer 2 Roel Balagtas, assistant chief for operations of the Caloocan City Jail, told The STAR.

Designed to accommodate only a maximum of 585 inmates, the prison now has 1,800 detainees and the number rapidly increases daily, Balagtas said.

This was due to the intensified crackdown by the Philippine National Police (PNP) on illegal drugs that started June 16.

Balagtas said that from June 16 to July 18 alone, at least 300 drug offenders were committed to the jail.

"We are hoping that our criminal justice system could add more courts to expedite resolution of drug-related cases," he said.

Balagtas said that despite the sharp increase in the number of inmates, the Caloocan City Jail is yet to receive additional budget for its prisoners.

Each prisoner, he said, is only allotted P30 a day food allowance or a mere P10 for every meal.

Balagtas could not fully explain how the prisoners survive inside the jampacked prison with such a meager subsistence stipend. But he assured that despite being overcrowded, the inmates were not threatened by any serious illness aside from boils.

He added that jail warden Superintendent Emmanuel Sisio is now coordinating with the office of Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo for the urgent construction of the second floor of the city jail to solve the congestion problem.

Meanwhile, Malabon City Jail inmate Oliver Muniscan reportedly died inside his cell at around 2 a.m. Saturday.

Muniscan, 27, of 24 Adante street, Barangay Taniong, Malabon, was facing charges of malicious mischief and unjust vexation.

Jail Officer 1 Federico Gato said that Muniscan complained of difficulty in breathing and was rushed to the Pagamutang Bayan ng Malabon for treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival by attending physician, Dr. Jaime de la Cruz.

Muniscan’s remains were brought to the Philippine National Police (PNP) crime laboratory for autopsy.