Rama wants jails relocated outside of Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama is pushing for a common jail facility for Cebu to address congestion at the City Jail and Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center and the lack of centers for drug dependents.

Rama said that the inmates of both City Jail and CPDRC in Barangay Kalunasan should be relocated to one big facility outside the city. He suggested using the existing jail facilities as rehabilitation centers for drug dependents.

The vice mayor said he already pitched in the idea to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia but the Capitol chief executive has yet to give her opinion.

 “Let’s transfer all these jails outside Cebu City, the inmates and probably, convert the province and the city jail as rehabilitation center for drug dependents,” Rama said.

He said that the city government, provincial government, and the national government can pool resources to construct one big jail facility that could house all the inmates from City Jail and CPDRC.

As of now, the City Jail houses 5,800 inmates-- 4,439 males, 898 females, 63 from the Operations Second Chance, and 400 adopted from the Naga City Jail. The CPDRC, on the other hand, houses 2,448 persons deprived of liberty. The City Jail only has a capacity of 1,900 while CPDRC has 1,600.

According to Rama, relocating the jail facilities outside of the city will also address the recurring waste water problem affecting the neighboring communities.

Last Tuesday, the City Council placed Barangay Kalunasan under state of calamity due to complaints from the residents because of foul smell from the jails’ waste water. The declaration would mean that the city government can use P19.5 million from its disaster preparedness funds to purchase two trucks and for the dislodging of the septic tanks.

The city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works will also need P1.97 million to cover the canals outside the jail facilities to prevent from overflowing.

Rama, chairman of the council’s committee on environment, said the city government should act on the complaint of the residents in the area. Mayor Edgardo Labella has already directed the City Health Department and City Administrator Floro Casas, Jr. to find ways to collaborate and coordinate with the officials of the jails to address the problem.

The city acted on the complaint of Atty. Eugene Orbita who represents the affected residents.

Orbita said residents near the Langub Shrine in Barangay Kalunasan and Massgoers are affected by the inaction of the government.

The complaint was tackled by the City Council during an executive session last week.  The council agreed to request the Department of Public Services to dislodge the septic tanks at the city jail twice a week; to collect garbage every day; and to provide a hose that can connect the female dormitory’s septic tanks to the hauling truck.

Councilor Nestor Archival, chairman of the task force to address the problem in Kalunasan, said the short term solution is to continue dislodging the septic tanks several times in a week to prevent waste water from overflowing.

Archival said the task force will look for a more sustainable solution to the problem other than the construction or rehabilitation of the sewerage treatment facility. — FPL (FREEMAN)