The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Wednesday relieved the chief inspector of Iloilo jail in Pototan after the inmates protested alleged starvation by the jail warden.

"Jail Chief Inspector Norberto Miciano was already relieved from his post to give way for an impartial investigation," said Jail Supt. Xavier Solda, BJMP spokesman ,in a statement issued on Wednesday.

He said Miciano was replaced by Chief Jail Inspector Denver Beltran, who was recently awarded as the best district jail warden.

Solda said around 100 inmates climbed the roof of the jail facility on Wednesday morning. Holding placards, they urged media to come inside and demanded that Miciano be replaced.

Solda said the inmates started their protest after attending a religious activity inside the jail facility. As of Wednesday, footage from a local TV station showed the inmates were still on the roof of the facility protesting their alleged bad treatment.

"There was an ongoing religious activity... from the religious area they transferred to the roof and conducted the noise barrage," he said in a radio interview.

Solda said BJMP Chief Jail Director Allan Iral directed the regional director of BJMP Regional Office VI to attend to the concerns of inmates.

"We have an ongoing dialogue with the persons deprived of liberty (PDL)," he said.

Solda said every inmate has a daily food allowance of 70 pesos which covers three meals a day. Robina Asido/DMS