170 kids hold guard hostage

CEBU, Philippines - A commotion erupted in the jail facility for minors when a guard was held hostage by a group of children in conflict with the law late Monday night.

A crisis was prevented with the quick reaction of the officials from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), who rushed to Operation Second Chance located in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City.

The guard went inside the Sto. Niño cell, which houses around 170 children, at around 11:45 p.m. to do a head count when he was prevented from leaving.

Jail Sr. Insp. Elsie Irene Alcomendras, the warden, told The FREEMAN that the children refused to allow the guard to leave because of the alleged abuse committed against them by eight jail guards.

The children in conflict with the law also aired other demands.

These are the extension of the visiting privileges and preventing the transfer of several of the wards, who are already past the age of minority.

“Nagkagulo na sa loob, ayaw palabasin yong isa nga jail guard kay may alleged na pananakit sa kanila ang walo na jail officer,” (There was trouble inside as they did not allow one of the jail guards to leave due to alleged abuse by eight jail officers), said Chief Supt. Deogracias Carreon Tapayan, BJMP Region 7 director.

The guard, who was held hostage, was lucky to have some friends in the cell, who managed to lock him inside the comfort room away from harm.

The children then started a noise barrage.

Negotiations

BJMP Assistant Regional Director Efren Nemeño rushed to the facility and took over the negotiations with Alcomendras, who assumed as warden only last February 1 replacing Insp. Merlina Araw Metante.

The tension only subsided around three hours later when Alcomendras and some of the children in conflict with the law signed a covenant.

The jail authorities promised to look into the complaint of abuse against the jail guards as well as the other demands of the children.

The victim was released unharmed at around 2 a.m.

Demands

Aside from alleged abuses, the children also want that they be allowed to entertain visitors daily instead of only the whole day on Saturdays and on Sunday mornings.

Jail authorities said that this demand would be impossible to grant as the children have schedules to follow including trainings and classes throughout the week.

The children also asked that the iron grills on their windows be replaced with jalousie blades.

They also aired their opposition to plans of moving several legal aged detainees to another jail facility.

Alcomendras explained that the transfer of the older detainees is necessary, but they are not going to be moved to the Cebu City Jail.

“We need to transfer older detainees so that they could not influence CICLs in a separate cell (OSC) which they strongly disagree,” said Alcomendras.

She said that the 52 detainees, who are not anymore minors, are only going to be transferred to a separate stockade a few meters from their old ones.

“This way, the older detainees can not influence the younger ones,” she said.

Alcomendras also denied allegations of abuse under her watch, saying that she does not tolerate such acts.

“Mas lisod ang mga bata bantayan kinahanglan gyud og maximum tolerance,” (It is harder to watch over children, you need maximum tolerance), she added.

This is her first assignment to a facility for children in her 15 years of service with the BJMP.

Investigation

Tapayan has promised a thorough investigation on alleged abuse committee by eight jail officers.

The names of the eight have already been endorsed to BJMP-7.

They will, however, stay at Operation Second Chance for the meantime due to the lack of personnel to replace them.

“Papalitan natin ang walo para maiwasan ang gulo sa loob, pero maghanap pa tayo ng mga taong papalit sa kanila,” (We will replace the eight to prevent trouble inside, but we have to look for people to replace them), said Tapayan.

If found guilty, administrative cases and criminal complaints for child abuse will be filed against the jail guards.

At present, OSC only has 18 BJMP personnel, 10 house parents, four social workers and two volunteers.

Bothered

Cebu City Councilor Margarita Osmeña admitted she is bothered by the report she received about the hostage taking incident involving children in conflict with the law detained at the Operation Second Chance.

She said she is waiting for the copy of the investigation report promised by the Jail Warden to be submitted today.

Osmeña is a member of the Cebu City Operation Second Chance Management Board.

OSC is special to her because she was the one who initiated the establishment of the P16-million facility, the first of its kind in the country.

Operation Second Chance is a detention facility especially for minors in conflict with the law. It is however no ordinary detention facility because services are offered to help rehabilitate the children.

Osmeña said that she is bothered by the claim of the children that they are being maltreated.

She said though that they cannot take major actions pending the investigation and the detailed report. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the PCAC to conduct an investigation on the incident. – with Jessica Ann R. Pareja/NLQ

“I don’t like to judge based on what I feel and based on initial report. We will wait for the report from the Jail Warden and will discuss it with the members of the management board,” Osmeña said.

She said she is planning to visit the facility with Cebu City Operation Second Chance Managing Director Judge Olegario Sarmiento.

Osmeña said that there are many factors that could have triggered the behavior of the children which they want to know and understand before taking any action.

She said the immediately, she wants to know from the BJMP if the jail wardens have undergone training for handling minors in conflict with the law.

Osmeña said that children in conflict with the law need attention different from what jail guards usually give to adult offenders.

“The jail guard must not only look at them as offenders but they must also consider that these are minors. If there is no difference in how they should handle minor offenders, then we could have just mixed them with the adults,” Osmeña said.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the PCAC to conduct an investigation on the incident. – with Jessica Ann R. Pareja/NLQ (FREEMAN)