THE Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-Negros Island Region (BJMP-NIR) has designated Jail Senior Insp. Raymund Aro as the new officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, effective August 28, 2025.
Aro assumed the post from Acting Jail Warden Chief Inspector Crisyrel Awe, who voluntarily stepped down from his position to give way to a pending investigation regarding the complaints raised by persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) against the jail management.
On Thursday morning, PDLs staged an almost eight-hour noise barrage over alleged unfair treatment inside the facility.
Awe stepped down as acting jail warden to allow the investigation into the complaints against him to proceed without his influence.
Jail Chief Superintendent Brendan Fulgencio, BJMP-NIR director, said the noise barrage peacefully ended around 4:30 p.m. with no injuries recorded among personnel or PDLs.
"It is our desire to end the situation peacefully without any injuries to any persons, PDL or personnel—and without any damage to government property," he said.
He added that in any situation, it is their primary consideration in making decisions as jail officers to ensure the safety and welfare of the PDLs and their personnel.
Moreover, Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, PRO-NIR Public Information Office chief, said the Bago Component City Police Station also responded to the request for assistance from the BJMP.
"Consistent with our mandate under Republic Act 6975, the role of the PNP in this situation is to provide external support, particularly by securing the outer perimeter of the jail facility to prevent escapes and unauthorized entry, managing crowds outside the jail—including relatives or onlookers who may converge due to the viral reports—and reinforcing BJMP operations if the situation escalates beyond their capacity, always under the coordination and authority of the BJMP warden," she said.
She added that the PNP does not intervene inside the jail unless specifically requested by BJMP authorities.
Malong said their function is to ensure that order and security are maintained in the immediate surroundings while respecting the BJMP’s primary jurisdiction inside the facility.
"We assure the public that the PNP’s response is coordinated, lawful, and guided by human rights principles. The safety of the community, jail personnel, and PDLs remains our utmost priority," Malong said. (MAP)