After escape of inmate BJMP replaces city jail warden

CEBU, Philippines - The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) relieved the acting warden of the Cebu City Jail two days after an inmate bolted from the prison facility last Saturday.

Relieved from her post was Jail Supt. Maria Victoria Jimenez.

BJMP-7 regional director Romeo S. Vio appointed Jail Supt. Johnson Calub as replacement of Jimenez with instructions to stop the reported irregularities in the prison facility located in Barangay Kalunasan.

Although this is the first time for Calub to assume as warden of Cebu City Jail, but he was once assigned at the now defunct Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center (BBRC) in Barangay Apas as head of the custodial and escort team from 1996 to 1999.

Inmate Arnel Beralde, 24, who is facing charges for attempted homicide, escaped from the city jail last Saturday dawn. He remains at large.

Calub said that he has already ordered an investigation into the incident.

Mayor Michael Rama was not consulted by the BJMP officials when they relieved Jimenez from her post and when they installed Calub as the new jail warden.

Calub said he will pay a courtesy call on the mayor this Monday.

He already attended the meeting of the members of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) yesterday to discuss jail-related matters.

For her part, Jimenez said that she is very thankful to the mayor and to the BJMP officials for giving her the chance to manage the Cebu City Jail, which she describes as the most controversial in Central Visayas.

“It’s a worthwhile experience working in jail. I’m not worried, I’m not bitter with what had transpired, but instead happy because it lessen my burden though its really a big challenge for me to serve the biggest and controversial jail in the region,” she said.

Calub faces several other concerns in the jail aside from the recent escape of an inmate.

There is also the reported smuggling of the illegal drug shabu into the jail and a more recent claim that a drug pusher is operating from inside the facility.

At present, the jail has 2,010 inmates and 910 of them are facing drug-related cases.

Background

After working for three years in the defunct BBRC, Calub was assigned to the Talisay City Jail.

It was during his stint as warden of Talisay City Jail that the facility was adjudged as the best jail nationwide.

One of the reasons for the honor was that there was no jailbreak.

After nine years in Talisay, Calub spent one year at the BJMP Central Office in Manila for schooling before his appointment to the Cebu City Jail.

Instructions

Rama said he will give instructions to Calub on Monday.

The mayor also aired his lament against the previous warden, who asked him for food assistance for the inmates and additional allowance for the jail guards.

Such privileges were suspended by Rama’s predecessor Tomas Osmeña.

“Dili ko makagusto nga moderitso lang pagpangayo og assistance sa City Hall nga dili usa nila i-prove nga angay sila nga hatagan. Unsaon paghatag nga padayon man gihapon ang report sa proliferation of cellphones ug shabu diha sa City jail,” Rama said. –/NLQ (FREEMAN)