FOLLOWING an attempt to burn the stockade of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), only inmates facing minor offenses will be detained at the facility.
While the stockade is under repair, those facing serious offenses are kept in the female detention cell while female inmates will be detained temporarily in a nearby police station’s detention cell, said Supt. Carmelo Dayon, chief of Cebu City Public Safety Company (CCPSC).
Six policemen are ordered to explain why they should not be held liable of gross neglect of duty for their failure to stop an inmate who attempted to set the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) detention cell on fire.
Dayon said he will conduct an investigation against these policemen if they fail to give satisfactory explanation.
Being investigated are SPO2 Isagni Ceniza, SPO1 George Samodio, PO3 Miguelito Cañete, PO2 Romel Tamosa, SPO2 Celestino Alvarez and SPO1 Parluon Torrifiel.
These policemen are assigned to man the detention cell on different shifts.
Although under investigation, they will not be relieved from their present posts unless necessary, Dayon said.
Last Sunday dawn, an inmate named Clement Mirasol Escobar, 22, allegedly tried to set the detention cell on fire by throwing a lighted cigarette butt to the ceiling of the cell’s comfort room.
He also allegedly tried to cut two bars of the cell.
The Cebu City Fire Department tapped the alarm at 2:30 a.m. but when they arrived at the area, Escobar’s fellow inmates have already put off the fire.
Escobar denied it was his intention to set the detention cell on fire saying he just accidentally threw the cigarette butt to the pile of papers in the ceiling.
But Dayon insisted that Escobar wanted to set the detention cell on fire so he can escape. He was expecting the jail guards to let him out with the other inmates when the fire gets bigger.
Operation Greyhound was immediately conducted after the incident where matches, hacksaw, lighter and cigarettes were found.
Dayon said this is a clear violation of the police and jail manual./CORRESPONDENT CHITO O. ARAGON