Police council opposes Arsenio’s transfer to Cebu City Jail

The members of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) in Cebu City opposed the plan to transfer former  Lezo, Aklan, mayor Alfredo Arsenio to the Cebu City Jail in barangay Kalunasan.

In its April 17 meeting, PCAC passed a resolution asking the city legal office to take the necessary actions to block the planned transfer.

“It is worthy to note that our city jail is (already) overcrowded and is presently hosting some high-profile inmates, which entails extraordinary security measures,” said the resolution.

The advisory council is headed by the mayor’s consultant engineer Jose Ma. Eugenio Elizalde with members City Police Director Ramon Melvin Buenafe, City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar and City Jail warden Johnson Calub, among others.

The PCAC resolution was passed after Calub also presented to the council his reservations on Arsenio’s planned transfer.

In his letter to PCAC, Calub said the controversies involving Arsenio’s detention at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) resulted to the “overhauling” of its personnel and the relief of two jail wardens for this year alone.

Since Arsenio is charged with murder that was allegedly committed in his hometown, his detention was already beyond the responsibility of the Cebu City jail, said Calub.

“Apparently, (the) Cebu City Jail male dormitory is overcongested and also in custody of numerous number of high-profile and high-risk inmates that requires utmost security measures inside and outside the jail facility particularly during the court hearing and other special occasion that the competent Court of law will allow,” said Calub’s letter.

Because they also lack personnel at their male dormitory, Calub said having another high-risk detainee like Arsenio would be an added burden on their part.

“The undersigned humbly appeal to the Honorable PCAC board that the transfer of Alfredo Arsenio be set aside or be preempted since it is inimical to the installed security measures at the city jail,” said Calub’s letter.

Mayor Michael Rama said in a separate interview said he was glad that Calub is now seeing the logic of his opposition to having Arsenio transferred at the city jail.

“It is better that the warden has already changed his position from the previous one,” said Rama. /CHIEF OF REPORTERS DORIS C. BONGCAC