MALAYBALAY CITY–A bigger detention and rehabilitation facility will address congestion at the two facilities of Bukidnon Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (PDRC).
This was assured by PDRC warden Allan Gurrea, who said the province’s jail facility inside the provincial capitol complex in this city is currently occupied by 1,293 inmates — well above its 400 inmates ideal capacity.
During his appearance at the Provincial Board’s regular session on July 3, Gurrea said congestion problems also occur at the PDRC facility in Manolo Fortich town, which can accommodate up to 50 to 70 inmates only but is now holding 153 prisoners.
However, the warden assured the provincial lawmakers that a newly-built facility would soon address the congestion problems.
“The PDRC congestion problem will be solved once transfer to our new facility in Sitio Natid-asan, Barangay Casisang, Malaybalay City,” Gurrea said, adding the new detention building can accommodate more than a thousand inmates.
He said the new multi-million PDRC building is 90-percent complete.
Gurrea appeared before the Provincial Board to clarify reports about the supposed strict implementation of inmates’ visitation hour.
He explained the strict rules for visitation hours — Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. are being implemented to prevent sneaking of contraband items such as illegal drugs and deadly weapons into the facility.
“Women visitors will be searched by female guards while men guards will conduct the body search to men visitors. Visitors’ underwear will be inspected,” Gurrea said.
He said female guards use a mirror to examine the genital of women visitors to make sure no illegal drugs are hidden in their private parts.
A one-week week quarantine period for new inmates is also being observed, he said, within which no visitation is allowed.
Gurrea explained that the quarantine would allow them to observe the behavior of new inmates for safety and security purposes.
Inmates, he said, are entitled to certain privileges such as limited use of cellular phones and internet to contact their relatives, as well as the use of the conjugal room inside the facility for married, and even common-law, couples.
Bert Yulo, Bukidnon provincial engineer who was also invited to speak before the legislative body, explained that the Natid-asan facility city has been delayed due to the construction of additional buildings.
“Based on our estimate, the construction will be completed within this month and the transfer of our inmates to the new facility will likely be done in the later part of July or early August,” Yulo said.
Yulo said the new PDRC facility is surrounded by perimeter fence and security towers and far from residential areas. (Mel Madera/PNA)
