‘Transfer control of Abra jail to BJMP’

A special task force created by the Philippine National Police to go after private armed groups in Abra has recommended to the Department of the Interior and Local Government that the provincial jail be placed under the control of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

This, as Task Force Abra has found out that many inmates of the Abra provincial jail have been allowed to go out and act as bodyguards of local politicians.

In a report, the task force informed PNP chief Director General Edgar Aglipay that unlicensed high-powered firearms allegedly belonging to a certain politician have been kept in the provincial jail.

The task force came up with its report after meeting with local police and military officials and leaders of multisectoral groups for about a week two months ago.

Chief Superintendent Jesus Verzosa, head of Task Force Abra and Cordillera police director, cited reports "that inmates are allowed to go out of jail to commit crimes."

For instance, Verzosa said a "mayor (cell leader)" of the provincial jail was seen going to a local politician’s house at nighttime on several occasions.

The inmate, whom Verzosa identified as one Pepito Beli—sario, is the main suspect in the gunslaying of Mayor Clarence Benwaren of Tineg town.

In its recommendations to Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes, the task force said control of the provincial jail should immediately be transferred to the BJMP, otherwise the police-military crackdown on private armed groups and loose firearms would fail.

Verzosa also recommended that policemen assigned to Abra officials as security escorts be rotated, and that the Army battalion deployed in the northern province be replaced.