CITY OF MALOLOS – Gov. Daniel Fernando strengthens the computer and internet capabilities of the Bulacan Provincial Jail to continue to provide speed up distant court trials and maintained the decongestion of the facility.
During Monday’s annual Five Pillars of Criminal Justice System program of the provincial government, the governor ordered the immediate installation of additional computer units and internet facilities to further strengthen the online court trials on the charges of the detainees and pushes more the jail’s decongestion rate.
Fernando boasts a huge drop in the number of Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) inside the Bulacan Provincial Jail from about 5,000 in 2018 to only 1,696 today.
Warden Col. Marcos Rivero said the halt in the turn over or transfer of inmates from 21 towns and three cities to the provincial jail during the whole pandemic period until today has prevented an increase in the number of their detainees.
Rivero said he made it a policy during the whole lockdown and until at present to stop accepting inmates from municipal and city jails unless in exceptional cases to ensure that there will be no COVID-19 infection among the inmates inside their facility.
He said while there were no inmates coming in, the expedited trials through online also contributed largely to the huge cut down in the number of the detainees. Rivero said, through 4 computer sets and internet, they were able to provide speed up trials to the inmates.
He said he had asked the governor for more number of computer units and an upgrade in the internet facilities to further meet the demand in online trials including “E-Dalaw”.
“E-Dalaw” or visit and communication of families with their PDL loved ones through online or the internet replaced the face to face visitations since the March 2020 pandemic until today.
Other interventions Rivero had initiated including the application of Good Conduct Time Allowance to deserving detainees, turn over of already convicted to the New Bilibid Prison and the Correctional Institute for Women had also caused a major drop in the population of the inmates.
Executive Judge Olivia Escubio-Samar of Bulacan Regional Trial Court, PNP Acting Bulacan Provincial Director PCOL Charlie Cabradilla, Provicial Prosecutor Ramoncito Bienvenido Ocampo, Jr. represented by Senior Assistant Prosecutor Mark Mendoza, head of Bulacan Public Attorney’s Office Atty. Kristine Kay David- Manuel, heads of the Office of the Parole and Probation Administration Isagani Villena and Cesar Lopez and Provincial Jail Warden Col. Rivero represented by Retired Col. Rizalino Andaya received certificate of appreciation and recognition for their unwavering contributions in the implementation of 5 Pillars of Criminal Justice System.
Also, included in the lined up activities are tree planting to be participated in by 200 rangers on August 9 at the First Scout Ranger Regiment, Camp Tecson, San Miguel to protect the natural resources and environment in the province and Lecture-Seminar on Human Rights Law wherein the topics on Fundamental Concepts of Human Rights and Bill of Rights by Kernell Sonny Salazar and Arrest and Search and Seizure by Atty. Al Joseph Javier will be discussed.
