CPDRC allows visits starting tomorrow

CEBU, Philippines - As visitation privileges of inmates will resume tomorrow, personnel from the Provincial Public Safety Company will also start augmenting security at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center.

This after the Cebu Provincial Police Office approved the request of the Cebu provincial government to send two teams from PPSC composed of a total of 14 members.

Roberto “Bobby” Legaspi, officer-in-charge of the Capitol-run jail facility, said PPSC members will be stationed at the entrance of the facility as part of the enhanced security measures.

He said visitors and their bags will be thoroughly inspected, even the jail workers themselves like guards and administrative officers.

“The way the visitors come in right now, with the help of the police inspecting the packages, I think we will go back to how we handled it before with the PPSC. We will also be more strict on visitation, and not only that but also the prison guards and admin personnel in the way they bring in bags, personal belongings,” Legaspi told The FREEMAN.

He added that if visitors should get inside, they should be escorted by jail personnel.

This is the second time the Capitol asked for augmentation from the police in securing the facility.

The first one was last year after an inmate escaped and illegal drugs were uncovered during an operation inside the jail. That time, prison guards were also tagged in illegal activities which led to the resignation of the jail warden and consultant and cancellation of visitation privileges of inmates.

Legaspi said with the PPSC teams around, they will implement the old system wherein visitation or dalaw is scheduled Mondays to Fridays and inmates given 30 minutes to talk with their loved ones at the visitation area which is equipped with 13 cubicles.

“So we're going back to that. It divides the inmates into room numbers so that number was pretty good number where we can actually keep control of things coming in and out on a daily basis,” he said.

This would mean that inmates of cell numbers 1 to 25, for example, would be allowed to accept visitors only on Monday, the next set of inmates on Tuesday, and so on.

CPDRC will implement a three-tier system wherein visitors will go through inspection before getting inside the jail premises.

The first checkpoint will be located at the entrance, then visitors will have to pass through the K9 station which leads to the third and final inspection point.

The CPDRC has over 100 detention cells with a total population of 2,754 inmates – 2,585 males and 169 females.

Last Tuesday, agents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency conducted a greyhound operation at the jail upon the request of Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III.

Operatives recovered 76 cellphones, 19 medium sachets of suspected shabu, laptops, cash amounting to P92,000 and other contraband items from the inmates.

This  prompted the management to suspend visitation privileges of the inmates. —/JMD (FREEMAN)