804 inmates cast votes

Photo by BJMP-Davao
Photo by BJMP-Davao

A TOTAL of 804 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Davao joined the nation as they cast their votes inside the jail compound Monday, May 13.

BJMP-Davao spokesperson Jail Inspector Edo Lobenia said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) appointed an election board for the precincts that were established inside the jail facilities to assist the voting process for eligible PDL voters.

He said the Special Tactics and Response Team (Star), the elite tactical unit of BJMP-Davao, had been deployed in all the jails in Davao region to secure election activities, while an inspecting team was also dispatched to all jail units to oversee and supervise the actual voting in the facilities.

“Our national headquarters and regional office created ‘BJMP Task Force Halalan 2019’ that established national and regional command centers to properly address issues, concerns, and real-time monitoring of jail facilities during the election,” Lobenia added.

Lobenia said BJMP-Davao has 1,090 PDL registered voters but only 804 PDL were able to vote due to various reasons -- from double entry, name discrepancy making them unable to cast their votes, and also some opted to waive their right to suffrage.

“The said exercise of suffrage for the detainees had been done for the fourth time already. The first was during the 2010 election. Then it was also done during the 2013 and 2016 elections wherein PDLs were allowed to votes inside jail facilities,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jail Chief Superintendent Amelia A. Rayandayan, BJMP-Davao director, said they coordinated with the security forces and law enforcement agency to have a peaceful and orderly election in the region.

“The BJMP Region 11 personnel had already been put on the red alert status since Saturday. We coordinated with the PNP (Philippine National Police) and Armed Forces of the Philippines to facilitate fast, secure and safe election inside our jail facilities,” BJMP regional director Rayandayan said.

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