Labella creating team to decongest City Jail

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City acting mayor Edgardo Labella orders the creation of a special task force that will craft long-term program designed to decongest the City Jail.

The program is called “Operation Jail Decongestion of the Cebu City Jail or Bagong Buhay Rehabilitation Center” or Oplan Jail Decongestion.

“…it is vital that this operation decongestion be institutionalized in order to give life to the spirit of the law on the correction and rehabilitation of offenders rather than being afflictive and corrective,” Labella said in his order.

Labella said there is a “pressing need” to decongest the City Jail, which is now operating beyond its normal capacity.

He said as of December 31, 2015, there are 2,600 inmates filling up the City Jail, constructed to only accommodate at least 900.

“Decongestion may well be addressed if a careful study and monitoring of the jail terms will usher the release of inmates qualified to be released upon application before the courts,” said Labella.

He instructed that the program will be spearheaded by the “Task Force Oplan Jail Decongestion.”

The special team is composed of: (1) city mayor or his authorized representative; (2) city attorney; (3) Bureau of Jail Management and Penology director for BBRC; (4) two City Council members; (5) two representatives from non-government organizations; (6) representative from Department of Justice; and (7) representative from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

All members will be appointed by the mayor. Labella likewise outlined the “duties and responsibilities” of the team members.

Under the program, the group is directed to define the objectives of the OPLAN Jail Decongestion. It will also establish a database of the cases of inmates and study the possibility of the application of the discharge or release of those qualified upon order of the court.

“There are some inmates who may have outlived their sentences if only there cases were speedily resolved in their respective course,” said Labella.

Most importantly, the team will have to ensure that the inmates will be provided with legal assistance in order to expedite the decongestion.

“If there are those whose sentence if convicted had already been served then by all means, there should be a proper motion filed in court. There are also some of the detention prisoners whose cases if mitigating circumstances are considered and the sentence can be probationable then they could also be sent out under probation,” said Labella.

Further, inmates must be provided with psychological, mental, moral and emotional assistance through organizations and institutions.

Lastly, the team will have to formulate rules and regulations for the operation of the program, which will be reviewed and recommended for approval to the mayor.

A secretariat from among the personnel of the City Hall will be created to assist the group in implementing the program.  (FREEMAN)