Inmates and detainees in different jails in Negros Oriental were allowed to take the Civil Service examination recently at the Negros Oriental State University in Dumaguete City.

Bureau of Jail Management and Penology provincial administrator, Chief Insp. Rosalina Malahay, said 28 detainees from city, municipal and district jails in the province had taken the Career Service Examination paper and pencil test, in spite of the requirement that they can only be conferred the eligibility (if they hurdle the exams) but without prejudice to the outcome of their pending cases.

The specific provision states that if found guilty of grave offenses, their eligibility shall be forfeited based on the penalties stated in the decision and pursuant to Section 52 of the Revised Rules on Administrative Cases in the Civil Service.

Malahay said allowing detainees to take the CSC examination is a project of BJMP regional director ,Chief Supt. Serafin Barreto, who directed her to coordinate with CSC regional director Karin Litz Zerna.

Malahay said this is the first time in the province that inmates were allowed to take the examination, including two BJMP personnel who have no eligibility yet.

The CSC examinees who come from the different detention cells from Basay to Canlaon are mostly facing charges for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

An examinee from the Tayasan municipal jail said he is happy the government does not disregard the inmates and has allowed him to take the exam even if he is accused of violating sections 5 and 11 of RA 9165.

Frances Paculares, who is a third year engineering student, took the chance of taking the exams with high hopes that when he is out of jail, he still can work in government.

Malahay told the inmates and detainees that life must go on even if they are inside the jails.

The BJMP in Dumaguete has 373 detainees while the ladies dormitory has 83, eighty five percent of whom are facing drug-related cases.*JG

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