Inmates given more time with family on Christmas

CEBU, Philippines – The families of the inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center will enjoy a longer visiting period this Christmas which will run starting today until Sunday.

Marco Toral, CPDRC consul-tant on jail matters, explained that the eve of Christmas falls on a Thursday with only a day gap between the regular visiting schedule on Saturday and Sunday, prompting the jail management to include December 25, Friday.

He said the immediate family members will be allowed to stay overnights for two days- today and tomorrow. On Saturday and Sunday, the regular visiting hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. will be observed. Another overnight stay is set on December 31 until January 1 the next year for the celebration of New Year.

Romeo Manansala, jail warden, said the usual “strict” security measures will be implemented during the visitation where families and relatives are asked to present their identification cards upon entering the area. Visitors are screened while packages and belongings have to pass through a security check upon entering the jail premises.

In fact, he added that the security force at the jail have been augmented with 35 more security personnel from the Capitol, which manned the facility.

He said there is a need to detail more security personnel to help in the screening, noting the various incidents of sneaking drugs into the jail.

Last month, a 38-year-old woman visitor landed in jail after being caught in possession of illegal drugs concealed inside a hotdog with bun.

The visitor was reportedly bringing food when jail guard George Veloso noticed during an inspection that one of the seven hotdog buns was oddly hard, which prompted him to check what was inside and find a vial containing liquefied shabu.

It has been a practice in the provincial jail to allow family members to be with the inmates during Christmas and New Year. Last Valentine’s Day, they were allowed for the first time to stay overnight at the jail.

The CPDRC, known worldwide for its dancing inmates, houses more than 2,000 inmates, way beyond its 1,400 capacity. —/FPL (FREEMAN)