CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas was disappointed with the city jail warden for accepting inmates from Minglanilla without his approval.
Gullas said it would be an added responsibility and burden for the city government considering that it is allocating funds for the facility.
According to Gullas, the jail warden, Chief Inspector Josephus Jelliangao, does not have the authority to decide on the matter.
"Actually, okay unta kay makatabang ko's Minglanilla, pero capable ba siya as a leader pag-control unya, chances nga dunay disgusto among the prisoners. Pila may additional expenses nga iyang pangayoon sa Talisay, it would be an additional burden, nga mahimo unta nga dili niya dawaton," Gullas said.
The mayor said he wants to find out whether the 43 inmates from Minglanilla who are now in Talisay City Jail were covered with a court order.
Gullas vowed to send them back to Minglanilla if he finds out that there was no order from the court for them to be detained in Talisay.
Jelianggao said these inmates were all covered with commitment orders from the court. He explained that he was merely following the court order.
"Dili man kaayo concern where the prisoners came from basta naay court order amo nang dawaton," Jelianggao said.
He, however, said that it was only recently that he learned about the inmates from Minglanilla.
Jelianggao said they started accepting inmates from Minglanilla on December 3, 2016 after the jail warden of the municipal jail warden, Inspector Russel Retaga, manifested before the court that he could no longer accommodate additional inmates.
At present Minglanilla Municipal Jail is already crowded with 126 inmates. Talisay City has 592 inmates as of yesterday, including the 43 from Minglanilla. (FREEMAN)