AN official from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology - Davao Region (BJMP-Davao) said lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenders (LGBTs) in Davao City Jail are being relocated by batches to the City Jail Annex, to prevent abuse.

Jail Senior Inspector Ellen Rose Saragena, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology - Community Relations Section chief, said during the Kapehan sa Dabaw, Monday, March 20, that person with disability, who are sick, and senior citizens reside in the annex. However, LGBTs have been transferred as well to the Davao City Jail Annex since its establishment.

As of now, there are now three communities of LGBT in the annex.

“Wala naman gud ta’y conjugal visit since atong pandemic so wala na pod sila’y physical contact with their loved ones (We don’t have any conjugal visits since the pandemic started so they don’t have any physical contact with their loved ones there),” Saragena said.

Saragena explained that because of that longing, they found out some male PDLs tend to create relationships with the LGBT inmates.

“Dili sila pwede ihalo sa total male population kay ma-abuse sila didto (We don’t mix them with the total male population because some may be abused),” Saragena said.

Saragena clarified that this is not discriminatory and they are doing this to prevent abuse and possible outbreaks of sexually transmitted diseases, along with other diseases that can spread because of the congestion at the city jail. ICE