People’s general assumes acting BJMP chief post
Chief Superintendent Ruel Silva Rivera, the BJMP’s Deputy Chief for Administration, takes command today as the acting chief of the Bureau of Jail Management (BJMP), vowing to continue the programs of outgoing Chief Jail Director Allan Iral, who is set to step down from the service in June this year.
DILG Secretary Atty. Benjamin Abalos Jr. presided the turnover of command of the two BJMP officials held at the Philippine National Police Star Officers’ Lounge, National Headquarters Building in Camp Crame, Quezon City yesterday afternoon.
In his message, SILG Abalos expressed his full support for the newly installed acting chief of the BJMP.
“I am confident that you have the competence, General Ruel [Rivera], and the ability to lead the BJMP in ensuring the vision of the bureau to efficient and effective implementation of the J.A.I.L. [Journey for Advancement, Innovation, and Long-term Development Plan 2040].”
Abalos urged the acting chief to continue to strengthen the bureau’s rehabilitation programs specially for persons deprived of liberty (PDL).
Seasoned officer
A member of PATNUBAY Class of 1995, Rivera received his degree in public safety from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA). He pursued a Master’s in Public Administration at Batangas State University and acquired doctorate units in philosophy on educational management at the University of Rizal System.
In his 28 years in public service, Rivera held several posts in the BJMP. A field officer by heart, he climbed the ranks starting as a warden of municipal, city and district jails, most notably as the steward of Manila City Jail in 2011 where he introduced the concept of PDL records digitization and pioneered the e-Dalaw System, the first electronic visitation system which enabled families and friends of PDL to converse with their detained relatives via digital means.
He never shied away from responsibilities involving various regional offices as a staff officer, regional chief of Directorial Staff and assistant regional director until he took the seat as regional director of BJMP-MIMAROPA from 2013 to 2014.
Rivera also became the NHQ’s Chief of the Finance Service Office, Director for Investigation and Prosecution, Director for Logistics, and Director for Comptrollership, before joining the BJMP’s Command Group, the decision-making body of the jail bureau. He also served as the Chief of Directorial Staff in 2017, Deputy Chief for Operations in 2018, and Deputy Chief for Administration in July 2019, following the assumption of jail director Iral as BJMP chief.
People’s general
Jail Chief Superintendent Rivera is described by his peers and contemporaries as a man of humble origins. A son of a barangay captain and a market vendor, Rivera was born in the City of Lipa, Batangas.
Rising from the ranks while bettering post after post, General Rivera left only the marks of an officer who places honor before gain, and who prize people’s respect more than prestige. It is the principles he valued and lived by that earned him the respect and love of his colleagues, friends, and superiors.
Rivera championed the cause of the common jail officer by taking on leadership roles in several organizations, such as being the current chairperson of the BJMP Provident Fund and BJMP Multi-Purpose Cooperative. He also served as the president of the BJMP Savings & Loans Association Inc., from CY 2017-2018, and became a member of the Board of Trustees of the Armed Forces & Police Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. from 2019-2022.
Outside of work, he has furthered his passion for community service through membership in various civic and charitable entities, such as the Batangas Varsitarian, Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines, Mabuhay Shriners, and Knights of Rizal.
Despite occupying the second highest post in the BJMP and receiving countless recognitions from other government agencies and private sectors, Rivera still exudes his trademark of “kababaang loob” alongside his topnotch social skills.
Jail Chief Superintendent Ruel Rivera is expected to continue working on the BJMP’s J.A.I.L. Plan 2040, the DILG’s “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” (BIDA) Program, and the Marcos administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028, committed to his mantra of an action-oriented, data-driven, and results-based jail management policy characterized by transparency, accountability, and good governance. DANNY QUERUBIN