60 unqualified jail guards may lose jobs at IRC
Sixty out of 90 provincial jail guards of the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center in Brgy. Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo are not qualified to join the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which will takeover the IRC management following a two-year transition period.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. said most of these jail guards have not reached the educational and physical requirements while others are already at a retirement age.
Physical requirements include physical fitness, agility and neuro-psychological tests.
The governor said he fears they could lose their jobs that he is looking for solutions to enable these guards to remain with the IRC.
Defensor said if ever these guards will not be retained, they will be organizes to compose the provincial security guards.
“We will do away the hiring of private security guards if we can retain these jail guards. They will still accept the same compensation and benefits just like when they were still with the IRC,” he said.
In the meantime, Defensor has instructed the Provincial Legal Office to determine how the provincial government can retain them.
The governor had earlier said the province could save P60 million yearly if the management of IRC will be transferred to the BJMP.
Currently, the IRC, which has more than 700 inmates, is under warden Soteo Gardose.*
