Wardens versus Superintendents: Notes to Journalists

The recent testimony in congressional inquiry of “Warden” Gerardo Padilla of the Davao Prison and Penal Farm, where he named former President Rodrigo Duterte as a mastermind in killing inmates, has made headlines and set the political discussions for a number of days. Journalists simply followed the title used by the Congress when they referred him as the “Warden” of Dapecol ( the old name of the Davao prison). Thus, headlines uncritically referred to him as the warden who squealed against the former president.

The correct title should be Superintendent. In the Bureau of Corrections, the heads of the seven penal institutions are called “Superintendents”. Inmates used the shortcut “Super” to refer to the head of the prison facility.

“Wardens” on the other hand are used to designate the heads of a jail facility. The jails can be run by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (district, city, and municipal) or the provincial governor (provincial jails). There are also Municipal Jails that are run by the Philippine National Police.

Jails are usually for accused detainees undergoing trial and prisons are for convicted inmates serving their sentences.

Referring “Wardens” as Superintendents of a Bucor Facility is misleading . It creates a notion that the facility in question is under the management of the BJMP. (Sometimes, the reverse happens too). While seemingly a simple and technical error, it has an impact when introducing policy recommendations to the appropriate agencies.

I recommend that journalists pay attention to this subtle distinction as this is an important step to engage the public in meaningful discussion.