Rizal 2nd District Rep. Fidel Nograles lauded the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology for its speedy administration of COVID-19 vaccines to persons deprived of liberty under its jurisdiction.
“The BJMP has averted a potential crisis with the swift roll-out of the vaccines for our PDLs. Given the cramped conditions in our jails, it was extremely important that the spread of COVID-19 be contained, and I’m glad the BJMP has been up to the task,” Nograles, a vice-chair of the House Committee on Justice, said.
Nograles was among those who warned about the potential spread of COVID-19 in jails due to the high congestion rate of the prison system, and called for the release of vulnerable PDLs to help decongest jails.
The BJMP announced that 114,570 out of 125,082 prisoners, or 91 percent of the total population of PDLs, have already been inoculated against Covid-19.
As of November 21, the BJMP said that those who have received full doses of the COVID-19 vaccines were 76,084 PDLs while 38,486 have received their first dose.
The BJMP also said that 85,816 inmates received flu vaccines, while 3,901 were given pneumococcal vaccines.
“Our inmates deserve humane treatment, thus the BJMP should be congratulated for exerting much effort to ensure that the inmates’ right to health has been upheld,” the lawmaker said.
He expressed hope that the BJMP would target vaccinating the whole population of PDLs.
“Given the cramped conditions in our jails, it was extremely important that the spread of COVID-19 be contained.”
“Sa tingin natin hindi imposible ang target na ito, at umaasa tayong patuloy na kakausapin ng BJMP ang mga PDL na nagdadalawang-isip magpabakuna,” Nograles said.
Nograles was among those who warned about the potential spread of COVID-19 in jails due to the high congestion rate of the prison system, and called for the release of vulnerable PDLs to help decongest jails.
The solon, who is also a legal aid advocate, has an existing partnership with the BJMP to help implement the “e-dalaw” system through the donation of computers to jails across the country.
Lakbay Hustisya, a legal aid foundation that Nograles established, has so far donated around 70 computers to remote and congested jails nationwide.
