Warden Coquilla, Invincible in Character

Warden Jose Mervin Coquilla – a name best remembered when people of Compostela Valley talk
about security, bravery, and dedication. Being in the government service for twenty-two (22) years, 18
years of which he served the as the Provincial Warden, Mr. Coquilla personified all these qualities without
prejudice.

Right after he graduated from college, he began nurturing the young minds of aspiring law
enforcers and instilling them with the discipline and passion he has lived by as one of the pioneering
educators at UM Tagum College and a member of the faculty of Criminal Justice Education.

In 1992, he worked as utility in Court 8 at the Municipal Trial Court of Tagum while he was still
teaching at UMTC. Two years later, he joined the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in
Panabo as a jail officer. Through the years, he has shown his admirable commitment to his work by
strengthening the security of the jail, making sure that the detainees are fed properly despite the lacking
resources and ensuring the office efficiency considering the resources available.

Always the humanitarian, he made it his advocacy to better the situation of the detainees and
improve the jail system for the benefit of those concerned. Thus, when he was appointed as the provincial
warden of Compostela Valley Provincial Rehabilitation Center, he refused to be unsettled by the
challenges that he had acceded to. Instead he worked hard to uplift the circumstance.

Looking back to his first year in the position, he described the violent tendencies of the detainees
as owing to the unjust treatment they have been succumbed to. Regretfully, he said that there is no proper
censorship of letters that the detainees receive, there were riots inside the facility, cockfights were
rampant and perpetual changing of judges failed to address NPA related noise barrage and conflicts. These
are just a few of the tribulations inside the center. And like a soldier facing a daunting battle, he slowly
conquered these setbacks and transformed the facility to its commendable state today.

Now, he elevated the situation of the detainees by giving them worthy livelihood as one of the
rehabilitation programs inside. He made sure that the income derived from these by the detainees are
solely theirs and their family.

He faced his greatest impediment when a prisoner unfortunately escaped from the facility.
Despite being blameless of the whole situation he took the responsibility of this disastrous mishap and
faced a three-month suspension while awaiting the results of the investigation and another six months
when the verdict came out.

During this time, he realized that you truly reap what you sow when the people he has helped in
the past graciously repaid his kindness. Showing his splendid dynamism, he became a businessman of
such. With the assistance of the people around them, he established his own water supply station,
carwash station and vulcanizing shop. Despite being a good businessman, he never forget to help other
people and offered scholarship to street children in payment to working for him.
 Going back to service, he realized that politics is complicated and crafty in nature and one would
barely survive without appropriate skills and experience. The change in governorship worried him as it is
traditionally the moment when almost every position in the government face inevitable changes. Biding
his time, he worked tirelessly and evidently showed that he will cooperate despite the change in power.
Hence he retained the position and continuously lengthened his venerable record by making sure that
under the new administration there was no escapee, spiritual rehabilitations were fortified, and the
facility was greatly improved with shooting ranges, and recreational facilities were added such as billiards
pool, and dart house.

However, the hurdles and challenges never cease in life. December 23, 2014 when he faced such
grievous experience that would have disheartened a lesser man. Warden Coquilla was abducted by the
New People’s Army in his very home. He admitted that he has been warned of such things but he was
never comfortable being tailed by bodyguards. That day, he was going home from church and from his
yearly visits to the houses of the department heads where he distributed his gifts. He noticed that there
home was filled with more people than usual. Undeniably, he was targeted by the Communists group.

Valiantly, he begged for his wife to be spared and went peacefully with the armed men. He
conceded that fighting back that night would be a reckless and useless move considering the number of
rebels around him. Thus he yielded to them and let them handcuffed him. He was their prisoner for almost
a month and the toil was as hard as one can imagine: endless walking through mountains without a clear
trail, unimaginable living conditions as they went from camp to camp, he was often blindfolded when they
use some vehicular transportation, and the food was unmentionable.

Fortunately, he was never tortured or ill-treated. In fact, he was regarded with respect and was
handled appropriately. After almost a month, he was released by the NPA with the help of the then Davao
Mayor, Rodrigo Duterte, who was noted to be friendly with the insurgents.

Unsurprisingly, Warden Coquilla immediately delved into work despite the encouragement of the
governor to take a vacation. He insisted that he was fine and in a good condition to continue serving the
people. Because of the bravery he showed amidst grievous dangers and adversities, the dedication he
continuously demonstrates, he was given another important task as the OIC-Civil Security Unit (CSU) Head
in addition to his being a provincial warden.

No matter where he was led by the wheels of life, he consistently displayed a regal dignity of a
man confident of his position. Thus, he may be the first to hold his position for 18 long years under three
different governors. Undoubtedly, he is a man whose compassion, dedication and commitment made him
invincible.