Guv ok’s proposal to improve CPDRC

CEBU, Philippines - After inspecting the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC), Governor Hilario Davide III has approved for the proposed structural improvements of the province-run facility.

Last Saturday, Davide visited the CPDRC to witness for the first time the world-renowned dancing inmates. But apart from which, Davide also inspected the facility which was recently reported of reaching its maximum capacity reason for the Provincial Capitol to request for municipal jails to refrain first from transferring detainees to the CPDRC.

With this, consultant on Security and Jail Matters Marco Toral proposed to develop the facility including the improvement of its four towers.

Jail security personnel have a hard time managing the towers which are too small, said Toral. 

He proposes for the towers to be at least at the level of the enclosure of the facility and should have a footbridge, same as the structure of the Cebu City Jail located at the opposite side of the CPDRC in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City.

“Our jail is actually designed to comfortably accommodate 1,400 inmates. Right now we have almost 1,700. However, we still have space where we can build additional cells, if the need arises,” explained Toral.

Another way to decongest the facility would be to build a separate facility for detainees with drug cases, proposed Toral.

Repairs have already been made in some areas of the facility like the ceiling in the second floor where visitors usually pass when watching the dancing inmates’ monthly presentation.

Further, Toral said that in his first few days as consultant, one of their concerns was on the transportation vehicle that would be used to transfer detainees from the facility to court hearings. There was a time that the hearing was cancelled since they failed to transport more than 60 inmates to the town of Argao due to the lack of a vehicle, Toral said.

However, this has been addressed with the military truck that was recently returned to the Provincial Capitol. With only minor repairs needed and having been repainted with the color orange, Toral said they are able to make use of the truck which has been equipped with an improvised cell. — (FREEMAN)