(Eagle News) — A Philippine National Police (PNP) official on Friday, April 13, said the PNP was “doing its best” to address the problem of inadequate detention facilities in the country.
PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. John Bulalacao made the statement following reports eight inmates cramped in the Pasay City Jail collapsed due to heat on Wednesday, April 11.
One of them eventually died of a heart attack.
“In as much as the PNP wants to address the issue on overcrowded detention cell, we have to accept the fact that we only have limited available facilities. Nonetheless, we are doing our best to include in the proposed budget the construction of new police station buildings with improved detention facilities,” Bulalacao said.
The PNP spokesperson said the police have been coordinating with courts so as to “expedite the release of commitment orders so that all those who have been convicted could already be transferred to the BJMP (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) detention facilities..”
He said these facilities were “much bigger than the detention facilities of the police stations.”
“Meantime, prisoners with commitment orders are already being transferred to BJMP facilities to declog the detention cells of the police stations,” he said.
“Let me add also that if our request for fund for the construction of adequate police custodial facilities will be granted, the current situation in our jail facilities will be improved since we expect more arrests in the coming days as promised by the incoming (Chief PNP) to sustain our campaign against illegal drugs and other forms of criminality,” he added.
