Increasing number of inmates alarm Laoag jail warden

Laoag City Jail

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff reporter

Laoag City—The continued and unabated rise of inmates at the Laoag City Jail is alarming.

This was the statement of city jail warden Jerry Palalay who disclosed that there are now 174 inmates compared to the maximum capacity based on existing cells of 60-80 inmates.

As of press time, records show that of the 174 inmates, 146 are males and 28 are females. At least 101 of the inmates are facing drug-related cases.

Mr. Palalay stressed that the maximum number for accommodation of the city jail has been exceeded and that it should now be considered as overcrowded.

He added that the existing seven cells have also been modified to accommodate the high number of inmates as double-decked beds are now used instead of single beds.

One of the major problems, Mr. Palalay noted is that some inmates have been in the city jail for almost 8 years already,

“Ket iti pakaalaan na dagitoy ket no agsukat iti judge, awan iti piskal wennu pasaray awan dagitay abogado da isut pakaibayagan dagiti kaso da,” Mr. Palalay said.

In view of this, the warden said they are forced to immediately send sentenced detainees to the national penitentiary to lessen the jail population.

Convicted inmates who are sentenced to less than three years however are allowed to serve out their sentence at the city jail, the warden explained.

Continuous police arrests

The continuous apprehension of the police of suspects is also among the reasons for the increasing number of the jail population, the warden added.

He however pointed out that budget for detainees’ meals is not affected as this is coming from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) national office.

As for the jail personnel, Mr. Palalay said they are doing their best to ensure jail security as well as the health situation of inmates.

Assistance from city government

To help solve the worsening jail situation, Mr. Palalay has turned to the city government for assistance.

In response, Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas said she has instructed the City Engineering Office to study the matter.

The mayor has also approved the city hail request for a hospital bed for sick inmates, saying they should also be given proper medical attention and health care even if they are detained.

Though the request has been approved, Laoag City General Hospital chief Dr. Francis Manolito Dacuycuy said the hospital bed should be considered as “borrowed” as they may also need the bed when the number of patients in the hospital increases.

Mr. Palalay said they have identified an isolation room for inmates who are sick where the hospital bed will be put up to avoid transfer of diseases.

Comments

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become...

Free dormitories eyed for Nueva Era students in LC, Batac

Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, headed by Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida is planning to establish dormitories in the cities of Laoag and Batac that will exclusively cater to college students from the said cities. “Sapay la kuma ta maituloyen iti mabiit tay ar-arapaapen tayo ken iti munisipyo a maipatakderan kuma dagiti annak tayo a college students nga agbasbasa idiay siyudad iti Batac ken Laoag iti libre a dormitoryo a bukod da ngem inggana nga awan pay ket an-anusan mi paylaeng nga ibaklay kenni apo bise mayor iti pagbayad da iti kasera aggapu iti bukod mi a suweldo malaksid dagitay it-ited iti munisipyo ken iti barangay nga stipend da kada semester, ” Garvida said. Garvida added that the proposed establishment of dormitories would be a big help to the students’ parents as this would shoulder the expenses of their children for rent and likewise they would feel...

P29 per kilo rice sold to vulnerable groups in Ilocos region

BBM RICE. Residents buy rice for only PHP29 per kilo at the NIA compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. The activity was under a nationwide pilot program of the government to sell quality and affordable rice initially to the vulnerable sectors. (Lei Adriano) San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte —Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. “ Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas,” said Violeta Pasion, a resident Brgy. 18 Bingao in this town. The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators' association members in the province. Along with Pasion, Epi...

The Ilocos Times

Search This Blog