Stay Away From Political Partisan, Jail Chief Orders Prison Guards

ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / 15 Mar) – Philippine jail officials on Thursday reminded prison guards to stay away from politics and remain neutral in the mid-year elections.

"I have already issued a memorandum to all my jail personnel in the field instructing them to strictly stay apolitical by observing neutrality and refrain from engaging in partisan political activities, except to vote," said Senior Superintendent Abraham Pil Lintao, regional director of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP).

The BJMP has sent out memoranda on all its personnel about the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) guidelines and regulations implementing the Republic Act No. 9006 also known as the "Fair Election Act".

Insp. Belsie Agustin, BJMP chief of operations and spokesman, said they have ordered all jail wardens to refrain from influencing their subordinates as to who to vote in the coming polls.

"The Fair Election Act stringently disallows a direct or indirect solicitation of votes or support for or against any candidate, and influencing the choices to be made by their personnel constitute violation," Agustin said.

Under the law, any person found guilty of the election offense shall be punished with imprisonment of not less than one 1 year, but not more than six 6 years and shall not be subject for probation and worse, violators would be disqualified to hold public office and his right of suffrage, Agustin said. (Joel Zanoria)

BJMP Holds Seminar On Use Of Force Standards

QUEZON CITY (Belsie Agustin / 06 Oct) - Selected jail regional directors and wardens from the National Capital Region took part in a two-day seminar-workshop of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on the use of force standards.

BJMP officer-in-charge Chief Supt. Antonio C. Cruz said the consultative workshop, held recently at the BJMP’s national headquarters in Quezon City, was aimed at establishing fundamental policies and procedures that will govern the actions taken by jail officers in cases of emergencies and disturbances that present imminent danger to personnel and inmates.

Cruz said the seminar sets the standards in employing force to any situations within the jurisdiction of the bureau to prevent or control any disturbance or incident.

“It also provides legal and moral principles in the use of force and significantly aims to set specific standards on the subject on a rule by rule approach in accordance with the law to the maximum extent applicable without losing one’s inherent right of self defense,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

He said other salient objectives of the workshop included ways to balance the two contending goals in any engagement, which are important to effectively achieve the objectives, and the need to avoid using unnecessary force.

“Furthermore, mistakes or miscalculations engendered by extremely stiff or excessively loose Rules of Engagement will be prevented,” he said.

Cruz stressed that all BJMP units and personnel adhere to the general rule that the use of force is justified only by virtue of the doctrine of self-defense and defense of a stranger or relatives.

He stressed that jail officers, and even the police and military, are subject to the law of the law, and thus, in their relations with inmates, they should not use force unless necessary to maintain security and order in the facility, or when personal safety is threatened.

Cruz urged jail officers to apply only if possible, non-violent means and they should use only force or firearms if all possible means has been exhausted.

“The general rule on the use of force standards also suggests that the development and use of non-lethal incapacitating weapons should be carefully evaluated to minimize risks of endangering uninvolved persons; and the use of such weapons should be properly controlled,” he stressed.

“While the seminar-workshop on the use of force standards offers us an insight into its importance, I encourage you to continue training and achieve proficiency in the use of firearms.” (Mindanao Examiner)