City eyes relocation of overcrowded jail

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD CITY – In a bid to address the overcrowding of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), the city government is looking into the possibility of relocating the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Male Dormitory in Barangay Singcang-Airport to a new site.

“We might move them to a newly acquired property in Barangay Granada,” said Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez during a press briefing yesterday.

Benitez said that during his recent visit to the jail, he noticed the hardships of the PDLs.

“Indi lang kay init, but gutok pa gid” (It’s not just humid, but it’s also overcrowded), he added.

Benitez, along with Barangay Singcang-Airport Captain Caesar Distrito, inspected the facility, which is adjacent to the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) headquarters.

According to Distrito’s Facebook post, the facility has a capacity of 300, but currently, it houses almost 700 PDLs.

Benitez said they were discussing the necessary steps for the BJMP facility.

“Do we need to renovate or upgrade the city jail, or move it to another location?” he asked.

Benitez said that if the jail is relocated, there will be more facilities for the PDLs.

He did not elaborate further, as they will have to check if the site is accessible for visitors, considering its distance.