- BJMP XI still hounded by overpopulation concerns
THE BUREAU of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) XI reported zero confiscations of illegal drugs in the second quarter of 2026 as a result of its continued “Operation Greyhound” and perimeter controls.
Speaking on Wednesday’s Davao Peace and Security Press Corps media briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel, BJMP XI chief of operations JCinsp. Glendelle Abiasen said, “We are enforcing very strict search protocols for both visitors and our own personnel entering jail facilities.”
He added that the “zero tolerance for contraband” originated from BJMP XI regional director JSSUPT Ruelito M. Bobadilla.
Meanwhile, he said that data revealed a steady climb in the region’s jail population, averaging 5,766 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) in the second quarter of 2026.
The quarter-to-quarter figures showed a steady 2.22% upward trajectory in total jail occupancy since late 2025, climbing from an average of 5,518 inmates in Q4 2025 to 5,641 in Q1 2026, before reaching its current peak.
Davao City Jail’s Male Dormitory remains the most heavily populated facility in the region, carrying an average of 2,840 inmates in the second quarter of 2026 alone—consistently peaking at 2,872 by June.
Conversely, the newly integrated Davao Occidental District Jail reported an initial intake of 181 inmates by the close of the same quarter.
“One of the factors in managing our jail population is the bureau’s deliberate decongestion program,” Abiasen told reporters. “Chief among these initiatives is the systematic transfer of our convicted prisoners from overcrowded city jails directly to the Bureau of Corrections facility at the Davao Penal Colony.”
Abiasen underscored the strict implementation of the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA) law as a vital tool for managing jail densities while encouraging inmate rehabilitation.
“The other major factor is the Good Conduct Time Allowance. Basically, if the Persons Deprived of Liberty exhibit good behavior, they are allocated time credits. This facilitates an early, lawful release and serves as a fundamental pillar of our rehabilitation process,” Abiasen added.
