Due to relentless flooding brought about by heavy rains and tropical storms in the past few days, the warden of San Mateo Municipal Jail on Friday sought the assistance of the local chief executive in said locality for the immediate transfer of some 240 inmates to a new jail facility.
In a report to DILG Secretary Jesse M. Robredo, through BJMP-NCR Director Benito Dorigo, Jail Warden S/Insp. Darwin S. Agullo relayed that during the onslaught of typhoon Pedring last Tuesday, flood water has reached detention cells in San Mateo prompting them to evacuate all inmates to the second floor of the jail.
However, on the same day, detainees were taken to a nearby school as water rose to a critical level. Agullo said that they asked the help of the local police, the Bureau of Fire (BFP), and the military to bring prisoners to safety in the designated evacuation center.
According to Agullo, it has been a practice to relocate inmates from the San Mateo Municipal Jail especially during typhoons and heavy downpours because it is always flooded with water that flows from the adjacent San Mateo riverbanks.
He said that transporting inmates to an evacuation shelter poses great risk as prisoners might take advantage of the situation and escape.
Thus, Agullo stressed the need to build a new detention facility on a higher ground to avoid the recurrence of said incident.
Agullo then, made an appeal to San Mateo, Rizal Mayor Jose Rafael Diaz to provide a site for the construction of a new jail structure, either in Brgy. Modesta or Brgy. Pintong Bukawe of said municipality.
“We hope that Mayor Diaz would act favorably on our request because the construction of a new jail will not only help us prevent prison breaks but more importantly, it will ensure the safety and welfare of detainees especially during rainy and typhoon seasons”, he added. DILG
