Cebu City Jail: Male dorm overcrowded by 194%

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Jail-male dormitory is overcrowded by 194 percent, according to City Councilor David Tumulak.

Tumulak, deputy mayor for police matters, said the facility is currently housing at least 4,714 inmates, an excess of 3,114 inmates. The jail facility is designed for 1,600 inmates only.

“Over-populated na gyod siya. Luoy na gyod atong mga inmates kay daghan na kaayo sila sa sulod,” he told THE FREEMAN.

To address this, Tumulak asked the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to fast-track the construction of additional jail facilities to decongest the existing city jail.

He said the BJMP has allocated P101 million for the construction of six jail buildings this year.

Five units of four-story jail buildings will be constructed at the City Jail-male dormitory and one jail building for the female dormitory.

“Kung mahuman ang additional buildings masulbad na gyod atong problema sa congestion sa jail. Subsob kaayo ang atong kompanya batok sa ilegal nga drugas maong nanaghan pod ning mga dinakpan,” he said.

He added the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) has conducted 2,535 anti-illegal drug operations from July 2016 to June 2017.

Tumulak said CCPO Head Superintendent Joel Doria told him that the office has arrested 3,283 persons from July 2016 to June 2017, and has filed 4,663 cases before the courts.

With this, he said the courts should also help in the speedy disposition of cases to help address the issue on overpopulation in the city jail.

Tumulak said he also worries on the health of the inmates inside the facility.

Sought for comment, City Jail Warden Arnel Peralta confirmed that the city jail has exceeded its designed capacity.

Peralta said his office has been doing follow-ups on the update of the construction of additional jail buildings.

“Nakahibaw gyod mi nga mo-undergo pa na ug process. Gi-ingnan mi nga within the year, ma-implement gyod kay mabalik ra ang pundo kon dili mahimo karong tuiga,” he said.

He said the additional buildings will be constructed within the vicinity of the existing facility.

As for the health status of the inmates, Peralta said it is “getting better.”

“Nagpasalamat gyod mi sa ayuda sa City Health Department kay naa na gyod mo-check sa atong mga inmates,” he said.

Peralta said there are only three inmates that are suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis.  —/GAN (FREEMAN)