Jail Director Efren Altamira Nemeño was formally sworn in as the new chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Thursday by Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla.

Remulla presided over the donning of Nemeño's two-star rank and his official oath-taking ceremony at the Quezon City Reception House.

In his message, Remulla urged Nemeño to earn the respect of the entire BJMP workforce and to lead with integrity.

"Remember, Sir, all these ladies and gentlemen are relying on your leadership; relying on leadership by example," Remulla said.

Nemeño was appointed by the President to lead the BJMP following the completion of the tour of duty of outgoing chief Jail Director Ruel Rivera.

A seasoned BJMP officer, Nemeño previously served as Cebu City Jail warden and later headed several regional offices as regional director. Before assuming the bureau's top post, he was appointed Deputy Chief for Operations on July 17, 2023, overseeing the BJMP's frontline security and rehabilitation programs.

Nemeño vowed to address jail congestion, fight corruption, and uphold merit and fitness in all administrative actions. He also reaffirmed the BJMP's commitment to providing secure, humane, and reformation-oriented jail facilities nationwide.

He will now lead the bureau's personnel in managing jail facilities and advancing the rehabilitation of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) across the country.