Five men in orange prisoner’s garb sitting at the back of an open Multicab pickup and watched by a lone jailguard caught the fancy of a motorist who secretly took a snap of the scene and posted it on the social networking site Facebook.
Two of the five inmates were seen puffing cigarettes while the jail guard was wearing dark glasses and had plugged in earphones.
The snapshot went viral moments after the picture was posted on the wall of the Facebook account of a certain Andy Go on Tuesday night.
As of last night, the picture was shared 217 times and generated 538 likes. It has since become a conversation piece on radio and among office workers and students who saw the picture.
Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) acting jail warden Romeo Manansala yesterday admitted that the five detainees were theirs.
He said the detainees were being escorted to the Mandaue City Regional Trial Court last Tuesday. Three jailguards – a driver and a guard in the passenger cabin and another seated with the detainees in the cargo bin – were tasked to secure the inmates.
Manansala said they didn’t have any choice but to transport the five detainees in an open type Multicab since the three closed type vehicles of the CPDRC were used in bringing other inmates to Dumanjug, Bogo City, and Toledo City for their respective court hearings.
He said the practice isn’t new to CPDRC.
“Usahay apiki gyud ta sa sakyanan mao nga mogamit na lang ta sa atong Multicab. (There were times when we run out of vehicles to transport inmates for their court hearings. Hence, we decided to use our Multicab),” Manansala told reporters yesterday.
The acting warden insisted that the hands of the inmates were securely cuffed.
“Two of the detainees were handcuffed together. Two others were also handcuffed together while the fifth inmate was handcuffed alone. In the picture, you can’t see the handcuffs,” he explained in Cebuano.
Manansala said the five inmates were on their way to attend a hearing before Judge Raphael Yrastorza of the Regional Trial Court Branch 58 in Mandaue City. He said all five inmates were facing charges for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Manansala said the jail guard who was comfortably seated at the back of the Multicab, which he identified as Mario Bastida, was listening to a news program.
He said the officer on the front passenger seat was Elvin Baisac while the driver was Bernie Bayotas.
When asked about the possibility that inmates could make a dash for freedom if they continue to be transported in an open Multicab, Manansala said “Wala na tay mahimo ana. Mag-ampo lang gyud ta nga dili na moabot. (We can’t do antyhing about that. Let’s just pray that won’t happen).”
He explained that the CPDRC is really in need of additional vehicles to transport detainees.
“Gigamit lang nato kon unsay available. Kon naa pa untay kapili-an, kana untang naay tangkal ang atong gamiton nga sakyanan para sa mga inmates. (We just have to use what is available. If we have a choice, we want a vehicle which has grills on it),” Manansala said.
Aside from the need to have more vehicles, Manansala said the CPDRC is also in need of more security personnel.
He said the CPDRC presently has 22 jail guards tasked to secure over 1,600 detainees.
Cebu City Regional Trial Court Judge Meinrado Paredes emphatized with the CPDRC.
“That’s really risky. But we could not blame the jailers. That is not their fault. They don’t have the facilities to transport the inmates. Our jailers have the obligation to bring inmates to the court otherwise they can be cited in contempt of court,” Paredes said.
“It is instead the fault of the government (for failing to provide transportation to our jails). We need safe vehicles, locked, and with just one door for our inmates,” he added.
Paredes, who used to be the executive judge in Cebu City, said there were instances in the past when inmates and jail guards would take taxi cabs due to lack of vehicles.
“As long as the security isn’t lax, there can be no infidelity in the custody of prisoners,” he said.
Gov. Hilario Davide III said there is no need to investigate the incident as he has already spoken to the CPDRC warden.
He said there was no security lapse because the inmates were handcuffed and a jail guard was present.
“I spoke to our consultant last night, well the inmates were handcuffed together so it is impossible that they could escape because if one person jumps, the others will get tagged along with him,” he said.
“And the jail guards were there, watching over them so we can’t really say that there was lack of security,” he added.
Social media comments
Social media was abuzz with comments ranging from expressions of surprise to words criticizing authorities for allowing such thing to happen.
Romel J. Ocariza said “chill ra kaayo dah!” as he reacted on the image of the detainees puffing cigarettes.
Poking fun on the image, Rocky Briones Napala said: “Ana ka pobre ang atong nasod … ha ha”
Jim Villaflores meanwhile said, there was nothing wrong with the picture. “ok ra man … nakaposas bitaw kaysa police cruelty di ba?”
A certain Tawtwo Tawpox said: “dito sa cebu di sa kamay inilagay ang pusas. Sa paa inilagay konektado sa multicab .. ganahan pa ka mo ikyas ana?? hala! Alsaha ang multicab lalim ba?”
Jean Jlo Louise, matter-of-factly, puts it: “Mao nay suruy-suruy sa Sugbu.”/with a report from correspondent Peter L. Romanillos