27-6-2023 (MANILA) President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has appointed Jail Director Ruel Rivera as the new chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), according to an announcement from Malacañang on Monday night.
This appointment comes several months after Rivera, then serving as jail chief superintendent, assumed the role of acting chief of the BJMP in March.
Rivera takes over from Director Allan Iral, who recently retired after serving the maximum tour of duty of four years as bureau chief, concluding on June 23.
As the new BJMP chief, Rivera is expected to continue working on the bureau’s J.A.I.L. Plan 2040, the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG’s) Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) Program, and the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 under the Marcos Administration. These initiatives align with the BJMP’s mission of providing secure, reformation-oriented, and well-managed jail facilities nationwide, the bureau stated in a Tuesday morning statement.
The BJMP’s J.A.I.L. plan, which stands for Journey for Advancement, Innovation, and Long-term Development Plan 2040, aims to transform the bureau into a world-class agency capable of providing humane safekeeping and developmental opportunities for Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL), as outlined by the BJMP.
Rivera, a member of the Philippine National Police Academy Patnubay Class of 1995, holds a degree in public safety. He has dedicated 28 years of his career to public service, starting as a warden in municipal, city, and district jails, and later serving as the steward of Manila City Jail in 2011.
The BJMP commended Rivera for consistently demonstrating exceptional leadership skills, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by the bureau throughout his career. He has played a vital role in implementing innovative programs and initiatives aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of BJMP operations and the rehabilitation of Persons Deprived of Liberty, according to the BJMP.
One of the significant challenges that Iral’s successor will face is jail congestion. The Commission on Audit’s 2022 report on the BJMP revealed that nearly 68% of the 478 jail facilities are considered “heavily congested,” with occupancy rates ranging from 101% to 2,739%. The increase in the population of Persons Deprived of Liberty can be attributed to the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign and delays in court proceedings due to insufficient personnel, hearing postponements, and slow disposition of criminal cases, as stated by the state auditor.
Additionally, some detainees cannot afford bail, prompting the Department of Justice to order a reduction in bail for indigent persons. The recommended amount has been lowered to 50% or a maximum of P10,000, whichever is lower. Efforts are also underway to construct new correctional facilities, but the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s handbook suggests that this approach is generally ineffective.
According to the guidebook, “evidence shows that as long as the shortcomings in the criminal justice system and criminal justice policies are not addressed to rationalize the inflow of prisoners, and crime prevention measures are not implemented, new prisons will rapidly fill and will not provide a sustainable solution to the challenge of prison overcrowding.”
