Lack of handcuffs, guards hounds jails in Caraga

BUTUAN CITY ,Philippines  – Lack of handcuffs and prison guards have been a perennial problem in almost all jails in the Caraga region, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officials here confirmed.

Butuan City Deputy Jail Warden Reynaldo Balmori said their long-standing request for new handcuffs and additional personnel has not been acted upon.

Balmori told The STAR that some of their handcuffs were broken and could no longer be repaired.

“Ideally each inmate attending court hearings should be handcuffed. But in the case of Archie Fabre, I received reports that he was not handcuffed because we lack handcuffs,” he said referring to the inmate who escaped at the City Hall of Justice last Wednesday.

A BJMP report stated that Fabre escaped after he sought permission to go to the comfort room. The inmate’s yellow shirt was found at the comfort room.

Butuan City Jail Warden Superintendent Daniel Avisado said the four BJMP personnel tasked to secure Fabre face sanctions for the latter’s escape. He said a manhunt on the suspect was also launched.