City jail escapee may be sanctioned

CEBU, Philippines - If the inmate who tried to escape the Cebu City Jail last Friday is found guilty before the disciplinary board, he will be denied of his privileges inside the jail.

Jail Warden Johnson Calub, in an interview with The FREEMAN, said they could file charges for evasion in the service of sentence against 20-year-old Joey Ceniza but he is not yet convicted.

Once Ceniza gets back to jail from hospitalization, Calub said the inmate will face the disciplinary board chaired by the deputy jail warden with the office heads and an inmate representative as members.

“I-convene siya, pastoryaon (He will be made to explain.) and if he is found guilty of escaping, he will be denied of his visiting privileges, roaming around the compound, and the good conduct time allowance once he gets convicted,” Calub said.

The inmate will also be given counseling, Calub added.

Calub further said that it will be up to the disciplinary board if they will place the escapee inside an isolation cell or not.

As of yesterday, Ceniza was still confined at the Cebu City Medical Center. He is due for surgical operation after he sustained fractures in his jaw.

The jail facility’s chief health officer, Jail Officer 3 Junnie Unabia, will go to CCMC today to follow-up the inmate’s status, Calub said.

The jail warden said they will have to depend on the decision of the attending physician as to when they could bring Ceniza back to the Cebu City Jail.

“Dili sad mi magpataka ug pull-out kung wala’y order sa doctor, (We will not pull him out without doctor’s orders.)” he said.

Asked if they will be stepping up their security measures, Calub said there’s no need as their security at the Cebu City Jail is already in place.

“In fact ang mga jail guards gani nato ang nakabantay sa pag-ambak sa inmate, (Our jail guards were the ones who noticed that the inmate leaped to escape.)” the jail warden said, adding that he will commend the jail guards of tower 1 and 2 for taking notice of the escapee.

Meanwhile, Cebu Provincial Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador said the duty policemen in Bogo City will be placed under investigation to check their liability on the escape of Jerry Alcano last Friday, who was recaptured the following day.

“But not necessarily ang investigation is against them. Di man sad ta kaderetso og ingon na liable sila. (We cannot immediately say that they are liable. They have to undergo due process,” Comendador said.

Comendador said is yet to know the circumstances of the escape, even though he was informed about it by the station chief Ceferino Tabay, Jr.

Reporters tried to get details on the incident from Tabay last Saturday but he could not provide such.

Alcano, a resident of Barangay Canbanwa, Argao town, was recaptured in the said barangay and was immediately brought back to Bogo City Police Station that day. — (FREEMAN)