The Davao City Jail reported an 200 percent increase in the number of its detainees with the implementation of the nationwide “Oplan Tokhang” that saw a significant number of drug users turning themselves over to authorities.
DCJ warden Jail Supt. Grace Sun Taculin, MSDA said that from a high of more 1,000 detainees at the DCJ main compound, this ballooned to 3,072 after President Rodrigo Duterte declared war against illegal drugs.
Taculin said that out of the 4,271 detainees, 70% of them have drug related cases.
“The number of detainees with drug related cases increased ever since President Duterte was declared as the 16th President of the country,” she said. “There were several detainees who personally surrendered to the authorities and most of them already have cases filed against them in court”.
Taculin said that since the current administration intensified its campaign against illegal drugs, drug suspects immediately submit themselves to the authorities while others confessed their cohorts.
She said that the main purpose of the DCJ is to keep the detainees while their cases are ongoing.
Taculin however said that there are still detainees who were proven innocent despite the years that they have served inside the jail.
“Basically they are in our custody for safe keeping purposes since the court do not have any verdict yet,” she said.
She said that they conduct several activities that can help the detainees transform into a better person while they are staying in the DCJ.
The DCJ partnered with the University of Southeastern Philippines (USEP) for their literacy programs in which high school graduates can now proceed to college while they are detained in jail.
The detainees will follow the curriculum of USEP, after graduation they will have a diploma under the said University.
“We are also looking forward to have a post grad courses here in the next ears to come,” she said.
Taculin said that the said program can prepare the detainees to have a good future after they came out of the DCJ.
As of the moment a two storey building is currently under construction that will serve as the classroom for the detainees who wants to continue their studies.
