NO jail riot.

Thus declared prison officials at the Malabon City Jail in Barangay Catmon especially that its about 500 inmates are rather happier now and more convenient in their new  home, a P50 million facility which is far humane than the old one in Barangay San Agustin ,which is congested and dilapidated.

Yesterday, the inmates benefited from the jail decongestion and visitation program and legal, medical and dental mission led by Chief Public Attorney Persida V. Rueda Acosta.

Thirty nine year old Enrique Nepomuceno, alias Tatay  Ricky,who is leader of the inmates, aired his gratefulness  over the new facility whose land was donated by Malabon city government. He also thanked Acosta’s jail decongestion program, ensuring them of their health condition as well as in  providing them legal aid to hasten their cases in courts.

Nepomuceno is thankful  that the city government under the Oreta clan are very supportive of their plight.  While he is satisfied with the new home, Nepomuceno is hopeful of walking free someday soon from incarceration ,claiming that he was only framed up to the offense of illegal possession of explosives by   cops.

He said that jail riots is a rarity  since the inmates are heard of their complaints.

It will be recalled that  an inmate was killed and three others  injured when a riot broke out at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City on Wednesday.

The fatality was identified as 51-year-old Edwin Soriano. He died after sustaining multiple stab wounds.

Ironically, the Munti riot started at around 6 p.m. during a basketball game between rival gangs “Sputnik” and “Commando”, according to Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) officer-in-charge Richard Scharzkopf.

The riot came several weeks after President Benigno S.Aquino was assured by prison officials of the reforms and modernization being implemented in the Bilibid facility.

Tensions rose when a referee made a questionable call, prompting the coach of the Sputnik team to complain. Both teams argued on the court until chaos ensued.

Soriano’s brother-in-law Danny Espiritu said the victim was set to be released from prison this year after his parole was approved.

Soriano was sentenced in 1998 for murder charges.

Acting Mayor  Antolin Len Len Oreta  III and several local officials were on hand to see Acosta’s prison visit which later proceeded to the Navotas jail.

Senior Inspector Marissa Provido ,who oversees the female facility on the ground floor,  and jail warden  Col. Gerald Bantag jointly said that the inmates undergo what prison officials term as  Therapeutic Community Modality.

The inmates are treated well as they undergo livelihood training and daily dialogues and meetings as well as spiritual masses and sports activities.

The inmates are  more disciplined and well cared off especially in the new facility whose five story building was built by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and inaugurated last September .

The new jail facility can accommodate double the current number of inmates, and has separate cells for women about 73 of them.

Later, it will be converted into a Camana Female District jail to accommodate female inmates from the cities of Caloocan, Malabon and Navotas.

Oreta  said they are happy that the detainees are now in their new “house” which stands on a 722-square -meter lot.

Oreta said the jail was part of a memorandum of agreement signed by the BJMP and city government in 2008 for the relocation of the city jail from Bgy. San Agustin.

He said a hospital to be called Malabon City General Hospital will also be built in the area.