Councilor Philian-Weygan Allan has proposed an ordinance imposing the collection of a fee for the issuance of a certificate of detention by the Bureau of Jail and Management and Penology.
Under the proposed ordinance, the City Treasury Office shall collect P100 for every certificate issued by the BJMP.
The corresponding official receipt shall be presented to the BJMP prior to the issuance of the certificate of detention.
However, government offices requesting for the certificate shall not be charged. The waiver of the collection fee shall be certified by the jail warden.
According to the proposed ordinance, the total funds collected from the issuance of the detention certificate shall be reported out at the end of every year and will form part of the funds disbursed by the City.
The BJMP shall also report how many certifications were issued and paid and how many fees were waived.
The BJMP is mandated to supervise and control the administration and operation of all district, city, and municipal jails nationwide with pronged tasks of safekeeping and development of persons deprived of liberty (PDL).
The Local Government Code (LGC) provides the LGU shall “establish and provide for the maintenance and improvement of jails and detention center, institute jail management programs, and appropriate funds for detainees and convicted prisoners in the city.”
It also states the LGUs may impose and collect such reasonable fees and charges for services rendered.
The proposed ordinance stated the certificate of detention is usually requested by families of PDL, their lawyers, and their bondsmen.
The proposed ordinance has been approved on first reading and referred to the committee on appropriations and finance for review. – Jordan G. Habbiling
April 25, 2024
