THE brother of a rebel detainee was prevented yesterday from visiting him in the Cebu provincial jail for lack of a permit from the governor’s office.
The restriction was denounced by family and colleagues of detainee Ramon Patriarca as a violation of his visitation rights.
Patriarca’s brother, Jesus, a retired policeman, tried to see his sibling in the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) but guards wouldn’t let him in because he didn’t show a permit from the office of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Jesus waited till past 3 p.m. but wasn’t granted permission.
Ramon, who is facing rebellion charges, said he has started a hunger strike to protest his sudden transfer from the Danao city jail, where he was detained for three years while his trial is going on.
The court ordered his transfer to a military stockade but Patriarca was temporarily placed in the CPDRC.
Dennis Abarrientos, Karapatan secretary general, protested the sudden transfer and said he would hold Governor Garcia responsible for violating the visitorial rights of Ramon.
Abarrientos said his group would appeal to Judge Sylvia Aguirre-Paderanga of Regional Trial Court (RTC) in Danao City to reconsider her decision of transferring Ramon to the Central Command.
Abarrientos said Ramon should be detained in a civilian facility.
Ramon was transferred to CPDRC on Wednesday night after Centcom asked the court for moe time to prepare the detention facility for Ramon at their headquarters in Camp Lapu-Lapu in barangay Lahug, Cebu City./Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus