15 CPDRC inmates to be transferred to Muntinlupa

CEBU, Philippines - At least 15 insular prisoners detained at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) are scheduled to be transferred to New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City next week.

Rey Ignacius Ruiz, administration officer of CPDRC, said those who will be transferred have been convicted of different crimes; five of them for murder, four rape cases, four on illegal drugs, one arson case, and one for illegal possession of firearms.

Roberto "Bobby" Legaspi, officer-in-charge of CPDRC, said the inmate's mayor, Lito Granada, will be one of those who will be shipped out to the national penitentiary on March 14.

Granada has been detained at the CPDRC since 2001 after he was sentenced to life imprisonment or reclusion perpetua for rape.

Insular prisoners are those who have been convicted and sentenced to more than three years of imprisonment for the crimes they have committed.

The transfer of those prisoners means the number of inmates detained at the provincial jail facility will be lessened from its current population of 2,754 inmates consisting of 2,585 males and 169 females.

This is the second batch of inmates who will be shipped out to the NBP following the first 12 insular prisoners who were sent to the regional prison camp in Abuyog Leyte and NBP earlier in January this year.

Governor Hilario Davide III said that since January, the CPDRC has already accepted new inmates but only those whose commitment order from the court has been released as the jail's capacity is only 1,600. Presently, the CPDRC has over 2,700 detainees.

Meanwhile, the CPDRC is also looking into the possibility of inviting a representative from the Commission on Human Rights (CHR)-7 to witness an Operation Greyhound that may be conducted in the provincial jail in the future.

"They can join us. That would be better, so that we won't be accused of anything," Legaspi said.

But for Governor Davide, the CHR's concern is not on Operation Greyhound conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Philippine National Police last week, but on the photo of the inmates stripped naked that went viral.

He said he didn't know who was responsible for the release of the photo, but added that he does not see any problem with the conduct of the operation. (FREEMAN)