Zamboanga City - - In response to the many projects being implemented by the Lobregat administration for its attached agencies, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has positively acted on requests for the grant of a prisoner van for the City Reformatory Center.

DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno, who graced the inauguration of the city-funded 2-storey 4 cell building at the City Reformatory Center directed Undersecretary Marius Corpus to make sure that a prisoner van is allocated for Zamboanga City as soon as the DILG-acquired vans will be delivered.
“The DILG this year is going to purchase, for the first time in a very long time, 130 prisoner vans and I will ask Undersecretary Corpus to make sure that we will reciprocate the kind gesture of the city government and Mayor Celso Lobregat by giving a prisoner van to Zamboanga City”, Sec. Puno said during the unveiling of the P4.6 million building June 23.

Mayor Lobregat personally invited Puno to the project’s inauguration Tuesday to show to the DILG the city government’s all out support to the police, Jail and Fire bureaus and other DILG-attached agencies.

Aside from the building at the City Jail, Puno also led in the unveiling of the newly constructed Sinunuc Police Precinct worth P4.1 million and test rode on one of the 10 pumpboats donated by the city government to the police. The secretary likewise viewed the newly-rehabilitated City Police Office which cost the city government some P1.5 million.

“It is a great day for us to receive from Mayor Lobregat and the people of Zamboanga City, these gestures of cooperation and support in everything that we do (in the DILG)”, Sec. Puno said during the program following the unveiling rites at the City Jail.

He said the DILG is thankful to Mayor Lobregat “for making the existence of our inmates just a little bit more comfortable”.

The new 2-storey 4 cell building would accommodate over 160 inmates, according to City Jail Warden Col. Ester Pepito.

Puno admitted that the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) is one of the agencies that are most often bypassed in terms of resources and facilities. He however expressed elation that the local government units are coming in to assist the bureau. “But happily local government units have responded by helping the BJMP and that is seen no more clearly than here in Zamboanga City, without you Mayor Lobregat the meager funds that our BJMP has and the little facilities and resources that the bureau has, our prisoners would not be cared for as well as they are cared for here (in the city)”.
Aside from the prisoner van, the City Reformatory Center is also expected to get additional personnel and firearms based on the prodding of Mayor Lobregat.
Lobregat has emphasized that the presence of high risk inmates at the City Jail, as a result of the successful operation against kidnap for ransom groups, requires additional personnel and firearms.

Meanwhile, Puno commended the personnel of the BJMP-9 particularly the City Reformatory Center for their continuing concern for the prisoners, who he said, should be treated with care and compassion.

During his visit to the city Tuesday, Puno brought along with him a high level delegation that composed of Usec. Corpus, his assistant secretaries, Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Jesus Versoza, BJMP Chief for Operations Diolito Mamaril and several others.

Puno vowed to return to the city as soon as the city government completes the construction of several other infrastructure facilities—this time intended for the City Fire Department. (Sheila Covarrubias)