BY ATTY. JULIUS GREGORY B. DELGADO
IBP-BOHOL TO HOLD JAIL DECONGESTION VISITATIONS
Last August 21, 2024, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Bohol Chapter (“IBP-Bohol”) hosted the first ever Bohol Jail Decongestion Summit attended by different stakeholders. Dubbed as Mapagpalaya: IBP-Bohol’s Jail Decongestion Program, a novel program was launched by IBP-Bohol with the following objectives: 1) develop a Database and Case Management System of all Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in the District and City Jails of the Province of Bohol; 2) identify overstaying PDLs and provide assistance for their immediate release; 3) identify those PDLs without representation and provide assistance if they qualify to the IBP-Bohol’s Legal Aid Program in light of the proposed Unified Legal Aid Service; and 4) provide Seminars and Livelihood Program to the PDLs.
To gather data, IBP-Bohol will now proceed with Mapagpalaya’s second phase which is the Jail Visitation Phase. The same will be divided into two (2) clusters: 1) Bohol District Jail and Tagbilaran City Jail on March 8, 2025 and March 22, 2025, respectively; and 2) Carmen District Jail, Talibon District Jail and Ubay District Jail to be held sometime this year and/or next. Volunteer Lawyers and Law Student Practitioners from Holy Name University College of Law, University of Bohol College of Law and Bohol Institute of Technology College of Law will interview PDLs to determine if they are eligible for early release already, i.e., those who are in detention but have met the minimum years of sentence or penalty corresponding to the crime they are being detained and currently been tried, as well as to determine if PDLs have legal representation.
To prepare the Volunteer Lawyers and LSPs, IBP-Bohol hosted an Orientation Seminar last March 1, 2025 at HNU Alumni Hall, Janssen Heights, Dampas District, Tagbilaran City, Bohol. Atty. Jervis Clifford C. Vertulfo, Mapagpalaya’s Project Coordinator, discussed the “Overview of the Program, Instruction on Data to be Gathered and Assignment per Lawyer/LSP.” Jail Officer 3 Gina S. Sumampong, Chief Administrative Officer of Tagbilaran City Jail, discussed the “Do’s and Don’t’s during Jail Visitations.” Guest of Honor and Keynote Spearker, Atty, Patrick Santo, who is the current IBP Commission on Bar Discipline Deputy Director for Eastern Visayas, delivered an Inspirational Message. Current IBP-Bohol Vice President and Incoming IBP-Bohol President, Atty. John Jeric Lim, delivered the Closing Remarks. The Orientation Seminar was hosted by Atty. Luke Marnel B. Matutes.