BACOLOD City – The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) has designated Jail Senior Inspector Raymond Aro as officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental District Jail–Male Dormitory (NODJ-MD) in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, following the voluntary stepping down of acting jail warden, Chief Inspector Crisyrel Awe.
Aro officially assumed his post on August 28, the same day persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) staged a noise barrage inside the facility to protest alleged violations of their rights.
According to Jail Senior Inspector Atty. Juniven Umadhay, spokesperson of BJMP-Negros Island Region (NIR), the protest ended peacefully at around 4:30 p.m. without any injuries to PDLs or personnel. Jail operations returned to normal afterward.
Umadhay explained that Awe stepped down to give way to an investigation into complaints raised by the PDLs against the jail management.
“He voluntarily relinquished his post so as not to influence the outcome of the probe and to bring out the truth regarding the allegations,” Umadhay said.
BJMP-NIR director Jail Chief Supt. Brendan Fulgencio assured that the safety and welfare of both PDLs and personnel remain the top priority.
“It is our desire to end the situation peacefully, without injuries to any person — PDL or personnel — and without damage to government property,” Fulgencio said.
Ahead of the protest, Fulgencio had already ordered a thorough investigation and directed Awe to respond to allegations raised in a statement by Kapatid Negros on August 27.
Among the issues raised by the PDLs were alleged intimidation and maltreatment inside the dormitory, as well as the implementation of a cashless system./PN
