Operation Second Chance warden relieved

CEBU, Philippines - The female warden of the Cebu City Operation Second Chance in Barangay Kalunasan was relieved from her post since last week after admitting that she could not discipline the minor detainees.

 Cebu City Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, a member of the Operation Second Chance Management Board, said Senior Inspector Elsie Eireen Alcomendras personally asked that she be replaced.

 “Mihilak gani siya nga dili gyud niya madala ang pagdisiplina sa mga minor detainees. Siya pa gani ang mirekomendar nga ibalik na lang si Senior Inspector Merlina Metante, (She even cried and said she can’t discipline the minor detainees. She even asked that Senior Inspector Merlina Metante be assigned to the said post again)” Osmeña told the reporters yesterday.

 According to Osmeña, a house-parent informed her of an instance when one of the female detainees celebrated her 18th birthday inside Operation Second Chance and asked Alcomendras to allow her friends to be with her in the facility that time.

 Osmeña said Alcomendras granted the request, which she considered as highly-questionable for allowing outsiders to stay inside the facility.

 Alcomendras also failed to stop the bringing of cellphones inside the facility that is why some of the house-parents informed Osmeña about it.

 In a related development, Osmeña also informed the media that the Operation Second Chance Management Board, through the help of some concerned citizens, had already installed nylon nets above the jail facility to prevent the smuggling of any contraband by throwing it from outside the perimeter fence.

 Every time jail officers find contraband including shabu during Operation Greyhound, they will quickly claim that the contraband entered the facility through “bombing,” or throwing the items from outside the fence.

 Osmeña said they spent about P400,000 in installing the nylon nets around the Operation Second Chance facility. – (FREEMAN)