Ampatuan detainees under tight watch - BJMP

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) assured yesterday that all detainees would remain under its tight watch, particularly members of the Ampatuan clan, in the wake of reports of a plot to free the Ampatuans in exchange for P50 million.

“We don’t take anything in this facility as a joke, and we do our best to address every concern so we continually improve personnel deployment and logistical requirements,” an official of the BJMP said. Jail authorities, however, refused to reveal the location of the cells of the six Ampatuans, their supporters, and policemen implicated in the Maguindanao massacre last Nov. 23 for security reasons.

Another official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the BJMP is also acting on complaints by lawyers and relatives of the massacre victims that 11 men of Police Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon, also implicated in the massacre, had been transferred to the detention cell of Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr.

The BJMP has doubled its security at Metro Manila District Jail (MMDJ) and jail officials are now coordinating with police to thwart any attempt to free the massacre suspects.

The BJMP earlier relieved jail guards SJO3 Angeles Bio and SJO4 Kenneth Quilona assigned to the MMDJ in Bicutan, Taguig for cracking jokes on the alleged plot to free the Ampatuans. Investigators had denied reports of the plot.