Bagong Diwa charging fees for detainee visits, drug tests?
MANILA, Philippines — Visitors of certain detainees at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig are complaining that they are being required to pay P30 per visit.
The visitors, who asked not to be named for fear that their detained relatives might face retaliation, said they have been notified by jail authorities that the fee would go up to P50 per visit starting December.
They also complained that inmates are being required by jail authorities to undergo drug testing and to pay P800 for it. The government is supposed to shoulder the cost of such tests for detainees.
One visitor lamented that the unwarranted fees were an additional burden, especially for poor families.
Camp Bagong Diwa is the headquarters of the National Capital Region Police Office.
A similar collection scheme was reported recently at the Muntinlupa City Jail, which is run by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
Following an investigation launched by higher authorities, jail visitors reported that the collections have stopped.
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