DILG eyes 11 new facilities to address overcrowding in CALABARZON jails

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) announcened on Thursday the opening of bids for the construction of 11 additional jail facilities worth more than P360 million in Region 4-A (CALABARZON).

In a statement, DILG Secretary Mike Sueno said the additional Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facilities will be built on the male and female dormitories of Naic Municipal Jail, Tanza Municipal Jail, Imus City Jail, San Pablo City Jail, and Calamba City Jail.

“We are now dealing with the jail overcrowding problem head-on,” Sueno said.

The Batangas City Jail, Quezon District Jail, Santa Cruz District Jail, Los Baños Municipal Jail, Lipa City Jail, and Gumaca Municipal Jail will also have additional buildings, he said.

“With the help of these additional facilities, malaki ang mababawas sa pagsisikip sa mga kulungang ito at tiyak na bababa ang congestion rate ng mga 75% sa nasabing rehiyon,” Sueno said.

Meanwhile, BJMP Director Chief Superintendent Serafin Barreto said the buildings and facilities will be built on either donated or owned land by the BJMP.

Barreto added the project should be awarded within the year since its budget allocation was passed in 2015.

“Part pa ng 2015 budget yan, kaya dapat talaga maiaward na ngayong taon, so they can start the project immediately,” he said.

Recently, lawmakers and human rights groups called for the administration to implement swift reforms on the jail and penology system due to the large number of drug suspects surrendering to authorities. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/KBK, GMA News