The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology – Negros Island Region (BJMP-NIR) has replaced Jail Chief Insp. Crisyrel Awe as officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental District Jail-Male Dormitory (NODJ-MD) in Bago City after more than 600 inmates mounted protests over alleged rights abuses.

Awe was relieved on Thursday, August 28, and succeeded by Jail Senior Insp. Raymund Aro, who will also retain his post as BJMP regional operations chief.

The change followed a week-long silent protest that escalated into a noise barrage, petition with over 600 signatures, and a morning standoff where inmates faced rubber bullets and tear gas.

Earlier in the day, the inmates entered a dialogue with Awe, BJMP-NIR representatives, the Commission on Human Rights, and human rights lawyers Atty. Waks Apawan and Atty. Rey Gorgonio, where they discussed the PDL’s petition.

The petition cited harassment, non-compliance with agreements such as the 6:00 AM rotated sunning schedule and inclusion in the “Gulayan sa Piitan” program, unjust isolation of detainees, and overpriced goods under the cashless coupon system.

Kapatid Negros said the protest stemmed from abuses including exclusion from livelihood programs, failure to implement sunning schedules, unjust padlocking, and overpriced goods under the jail’s cashless system.

Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) and wives of some PDLs also held a dialogue with Vice Governor Jose Benito Alfonso, who assured them that “despite the provincial government having no jurisdiction over the BJMP, we will forward the reports and complaints raised.”

HRAN commended the inmates and their families, calling the outcome “a victory for the struggle for rights” and urged BJMP to pursue investigations into the petitions, review the cashless system, and raise food allocations for detainees, which is only Php45 pesos a day per PDL.

KAPATID Negros, a support group of families of political prisoners, said the protest highlighted “a deep crisis in jail management and rights observance” and pressed for an independent probe.

BJMP-NIR said the change in leadership was meant to ensure order while an investigation into the inmates’ complaints is ongoing.