SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga—Pool and billiard tables and other forms of games and gambling are now banned inside the crowded Pampanga provincial jail to avoid further violence, destruction, and even death among the inmates, authorities said Tuesday.
The jail warden also stopped the operation of a mini-store that is causing complaints and disenchantment among prisoners due to the exorbitant prices of its goods sold inside the jail.
The twin measures were adopted by the provincial authorities to stop or prevent riots among the inmates housed inside provincial jail. There are now about 2,146 prisoners as of May 2017.
Lawyer Andres S. Pangilinan, provincial administrator, said removing the games and the closure of the mini-store will calm the situation inside the crowded provincial jail, which is only few steps away from the provincial capital in Barangay Sto. Niño in this city.
“We want to avoid riot in the future, that is why we removed the tables and closed the mini store inside. We fear ‘tako’ (cue sticks), a five-foot piece of hardwood, may be used as weapon should violence erupt among inmates,” he said.