Palma consoles, lauds Cebu dancing inmates in visit

INMATES of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) received consolation from Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma in a visit at the jail’s quadrangle yesterday.

In return, the inmates entertained Palma, Cebu Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale and other jail officials with dance numbers to mark the end of Prison Awareness Month in Oct. 31.

“You are not alone… Life is not a dead end. Something good awaits us. We have to believe in the goodness of life and the goodness of the Lord,” Palma said in a Mass held at the jail’s quadrangle.

The inmates later performed a series of dance numbers starting with the Rocky 3 theme “Eye of the Tiger” by the Survivors followed by Van Halen’s “Jump,” and Michael Jackson’s “They Don’t Really Care About Us.”

They concluded with the JoBoxers’ “Just Got Lucky” and the Pointer Sisters song “I’m So Excited.”

Palma applauded several times as he watched from the quadrangle’s viewing deck.

“Our dancing inmates are really Cebu’s pride because they have been seen by the world. Even if they are inside the prison cell, as long as they have faith, they can dance. They are happy. The spirit of joy and dancing is there,” he said.

Palma, outgoing president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), encouraged the inmates to remain hopeful and believe that God is with them in their struggles.

“One of the sad things that happen is when you feel that you’re alone. But you’re not alone. God is with you. The saints are with you. There are people who cares for you. The Church is there for you,” he said.

The CPDRC inmates gained international fame after a 2007 YouTube video of their dance performance of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” earned over a million views. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol