92% of female inmates face illegal drug cases

By: Gail T. Momblan

ALMOST 92 percent of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in the custody of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Iloilo District Jail Female Dormitory (IDJFD) at Barangay Nanga, Pototan face drug-related cases.

Emily Ann Guintivano, Unit Paralegal and Helpdesk officer of IDJ Female Dormitory, said that 140 of the 154 female PDLs face drug raps.

The rest were detained for theft, estafa, murder, and other heinous crimes.

Jail Inspector Imee Soldevilla said the PDLs undergo Therapeutic Community Modality Program.

“Rehabilitation program para sa PDLS nga every morning, may meeting sila and sharing,” she said.

The behavioural, spiritual, and pychomotor aspects of the PDLs would eventually be reformed under the program, as they reflect to the crimes they have committed.

Aside from the drug-rehabilitation program, the PDLs are also educated through the Alternative Learning system (ALS), Guintivano said.

Instructional managers also train facilitators for them to be able to teach fellow PDLs.

The BJMP networks with different government agencies for PDLs to avail programs that would be beneficial to them.

“Tanan nga pwede namon matap nga agencies ginatap namon para atleast productive sila bisan ara sila sa sulod,” Soldevilla said.

She said that the IDJ Female Dormitory in Nanga, Pototan could only accommodate at least 60 inmates but the jail is “not as congested as the Iloilo City District Jail Female Dormitory”.

Guintivano said that some PDLs at the ICDJ will soon be transferred to IDJ.

“Ginawork out pa sya kay may mgaprocess para makatransfer,” she said.

The new IDJ Female Dormitory facility that “could cater PDLs from ICDJ” currently undergoes construction.

“400 days ang timeline nga matapos. Nakastart na ang construction,” she said.

Slow judicial system in the country remains as the main challenge for the PDLs, Guintivano added.