Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 24) — The chief inspector of a jail in Pototan, Iloilo was relieved from his post on Wednesday after more than a hundred inmates staged a protest on the roof of the prison building due to alleged inadequate food.
He told CNN Philippines’ Balitaan on Thursday that based on the report they received, the inmates are adequately fed.
He also said the dismissed warden had claimed that the inmates previously never aired their frustrations over insufficient food.
In a statement released that afternoon, Solda said a dialogue between the BJMP and the inmates was ongoing.
Solda said the inmates may have had other reason for holding the protest action.
“Meron po tayong old building diyan at new building. Sa new building sila nag-conduct ng noise barrage. Itong mga dating leader doon, inilipat na po natin sila, at sila nga po ‘yung nag-instiga ng gulo kasi ayaw po nila ‘yung bagong facility na kanilang paglalagakan dahil mukhang mas mahigpit na po doon at gusto po nilang bumalik sa dati,” Solda said.
LOOK: Inmates climb onto the roof of their prison building to protest the lack of food in the BJMP jail in Pototan, Iloilo.
"Gutom kami. Layas warden," their placards read. https://t.co/sDo55hP4UB
📸 Zarraga News Live Station pic.twitter.com/q7b92DaM2l
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) August 24, 2022
[Translation: We have an old building and a new building. They conducted the noise barrage in the new building. The leaders in the old building were transferred, and they instigated the protest because they don’t like the new facility, since it appears it is stricter there and they want to return to the old one.]
Solda added, however, that they are continuing to look into the incident and they expect the probe and the initial report to be completed within the week.
“Dahil ho meron silang ni-raise na concern, mahalaga sa amin na ma-validate ito, makausap mismo sila, para kung may problema nga ay maayos natin,” he said.
[Translation: Since they raised a concern, it is important for us to validate it and to talk to them directly in order to fix the problem if there is indeed one.]
Solda, meanwhile, vouched for the competence of the jail warden who replaced Miciano, saying the new officer recently won a national award as “best district jail warden.”
The Department of the Interior and Local Government has also instructed the regional director of the BJMP-Western Visayas to immediately attend to the inmates’ concerns and ensure basic necessities are provided to them.
Chief Inspector Norberto Miciano of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) district jail in Barangay Nanga, Pototan was temporarily dismissed to give way to an impartial investigation into the incident, according to BJMP spokesperson Xavier Solda.
On Wednesday morning, the inmates climbed onto the roof of the jail and held a noise barrage, demanding Miciano’s relief.
They carried placards, including one that read, “Gutom kami. Layas [warden] (We’re hungry. Resign, warden),” photos from local news outlet Zarraga News Live Station showed.
The local media reported that the protest continued until past 3 p.m.
