57 percent of Baguio PDLs face drug charges
The administration of the Baguio City Jail male dorm disclosed that some 57 percent of the 390 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) are facing charges before the local drug court for violation of pertinent provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Jail Superintendent Mary Ann Tresmanio, jail warden of the Baguio City Jail male dorm, stated that rape comes in second with 55 PDLs undergoing trial, followed by 24 PDLs facing murder charges, 16 PDLs charged with acts of lasciviousness and 15 PDLs facing homicide charges.
She claimed that the male dorm is generally normal, no escape incident, no riot or jail disturbances recorded and the facility remains drug-free and smoke-free over the past several years.
On the Corona Virus Disease (COVID) 2019 management response, the jail officer disclosed that the facility renewed its Safety Seal certificate on March 11, 2022 which has a one-year validity.
Further, Tresmanio revealed that all personnel of the Baguio City Jail male dorm are 100 percent vaccinated and with booster shots while the PDLs are 98.17 percent vaccinated.
According to her, with community quarantine downgraded to Alert Level 1, the Baguio City Jail had recently modified its guidelines in the changing of the guards and shortened quarantine of personnel to render duty inside the facility.
Moreover, Tresmanio stipulated that face-to-face no contact visitation of immediate families of the PDLs has already been in effect.
However, she clarified that the visitor should be fully vaccinated, be able to present an authentic vaccine card, wear a face mask and face shield and pass through the jailโs triage established for purpose to ensure the sustained zero COVID-19 case inside the jail.
The jail officer emphasized that fabricated cubicles within the facility had already been put in place for the face-to-face no contact visitation of the PDLs.
She asserted that development activities continue in the facility through online platforms to ensure that the PDLs will be able to have access to their family members and relatives wanting to interact with them and for whatever purpose.
On the other hand, 37 PDLs are enrolled in high school and 3 PDLs enrolled in the elementary through the education departmentโs Alternative Learning System (ALS) for them to acquire a higher level of education that they could use to earn a living once freed from the facility.
The jail official expressed her gratitude to the concerned government agencies and the city government for their utmost support to the various programs, projects and activities of the facility which resulted to the orderly conduct of daily activities amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic over the past 2 years that significantly impacted on the lives of the people, especially their employment and economic activities serving as their main source of livelihood. โ Dexter A. See
