Governor stops accepting inmates in Cebu provincial jail for now

The Cebu provincial jail has stopped accepting prisoners for the time being because there is no more space new detainees.

Acting Governor Agnes Magpale approved the request of the acting warden Romeo Manansala to stop accepting detainees sent from municipal jails in Cebu province effective May 27.

Built to hold 1,400 inmates, the facility in barangay Kalunasan in Cebu City now holds 1,684 prisoners, he said.

That means individuals arrested for a crime in the 50 towns and cities of Cebu will have to stay in temporary police detention cells in the localities while their case is beind heard in court.

One of the last high-profile cases turned over to the CPDRC was Joavan Fernandez, adopted son of outgoing Talisay Mayor Socrates Fernandez, on May 22.

Fernandez was arrested on May 6 and slipped out of the Talisay city stockade on May 8 and then recaptured three weeks later in Moalboal town. The repeat offender whom the police tracked down as Cebu’s “public enemy no. 1” is facing charges of frustrated murder, illegal possession of a gun and grenade, and violation of the election gun ban.

The Cebu Provincial Detention Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) has more than 100 cells with 12 to 16 inmates per cell and Closed Circuit TV Cameras on each floor.

It was opened in 2004 during the term of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who turned the old coral stone jail in M.J. Cuenco Avenue in Cebu City into a museum, the Museo Sugbo, which has several galleries that serve as a repository of Cebu heritage and culture.

The current CPDRC gained international fame after a 2007 YouTube video of choreographed dancing by inmates to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” spurred regular public performances.

In his advisory to municipal police stations, Manansala wrote: “Be advised to refer or call the office of the Governor for approval prior to bringing remand inmates to this facility.”

Acting Governor Magpale said there may be exceptions when “urgent cases” require finding space in the CPDRC. But a letter from the Office of the Governor is needed to justify this.

“Anyway, there are inmate also due for transfer to Muntinulpa since their cases in court have already been resolved,” she said.

“We are notifiying mayors in Cebu province, especailly those in remote islands like Camotes not to send their detainees to CPDRC for now because it’s full basedon the warden’s report.”

“For now, stop sending prisoners until further notice.”

The CPDRC is under the superivsion of the Province of Cebu with the governor as the official jailer providing funds for its operation and transportation of detainees when they are brought out to attend court hearings.

Each inmate is alloted P60 a day for meals.

CPDRC in barangay Kalunasan is a neighbor of the Cebu City jail which is run by the PNP’s Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

“We will make adjustments and look for police stations of the province where there is still room in their jails,” said Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr., Cebu provincial police chief.

“The work of the police is just to detain those arrested. It’s the job of the local government unit to provide a jail for theose arrested by the police.”

“Ours are only temporary cells,” he said of the jails in towns and cities where persons arrested or accused of crimes are placed while their case is still pending investigation and not yet filed in court or the prosecutor’s office.

The CPDRC is a facility for men and women facing trials for various crimes, including heinous crimes and illegal drug trafficking.

Some are already sentenced prisoners awaiting turnover to the national penitentiary in Muntinglupa, Metro Manila.

Congestion in the jail isn’t new, said Regional Trial Court Judge Meinrado Paredes.

“The problem has been there for quite some time,” he said.

Under the rules of court, an accused shall be detained at the municipality or city jail that has jurisdiction over the place where a crime was committed or directly to the CPDRC.

In his past role as Cebu RTC executive judge, Paredes inspected jails around Cebu. He said he found out that municipal or city jails are also congested, leading to various diseases and illnesses of inmates.

He said different government agencies are reluctant to take charge of prisoners and toss the responsibility back and forth.

“There has been a volleyball game as to who will accept inmates in Cebu. The issue should be brought to the attention of the Bureau of Corrections,” he said.

He cited past instances where the CPCRC would only accept inmates once the prison is scheduled to transport convicted detainees to the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa.

Veteran lawyer Democrito Barcenas said the CPDRC could not refuse the transfer of inmates to the provincial jail if there is a court order covering it.

“Where will they place the inmates? At the plaza?,” Barcenas quipped.

“When the CPDRC was still in Cebu City, congestion was a problem. We thought the problem would be solved with the construction of the present provincial jail. But congestion remains a problem,” he said.

The current facility needs renovation and expansion to accommodate more detainees, he said.

With population growth and more detention cases“The government should look for funds for the construction of a larger jail facility,” he said. /With Reporter Ador Vincent S. Mayol And Correspondent Joy Cherry Quito