CPDRC consultant Toral resigns

CEBU, Philippines - The consultant of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center resigned yesterday following issues hounding the jail facility.

 Marco Toral cited “personal reasons” when he handed his resignation letter to Governor Hilario Davide III yesterday. He refused to elaborate, telling reporters to ask the governor instead.

“Usahay ma-stress ta maayo mopahulay nalang sa ko. I’ll go on a vacation,” Toral said.

In a separate interview, Davide said Toral could no longer take the pressure and stress of the job, and mentioned the recent happenings at CPDRC as the ones that prompted him to end ties with the provincial government.

The governor was referring to a few incidents, including the escape of a prisoner in broad daylight, death of a 39-year old inmate inside his cell allegedly due to cardiac arrest, and the entry of contrabands like illegal drugs and gadgets, among others.

Quoting Toral, Davide said he could not anymore be effective because of these incidents and that Toral felt sorry they happened under his watch.

“He couldn’t bear these things anymore so it took a toll on him,” he said, adding that the incidents cast doubts on Toral’s capacity to perform as a consultant.

Davide said there were also rumors about Toral being involved in illegal drugs but no one has come before his office to substantiate the claims.

The governor accepted Toral’s resignation, saying, “I understood and respect his position.” He said he sees no replacement, the post being not a regular position. Toral oversaw the administration of jail personnel and implements programs for the rehabilitation of inmates.

Davide thanked Toral for his efforts in making reforms inside the facility. It was Davide who offered him a post at the Capitol as consultant on jail matters. 

Meanwhile, the Capitol’s Committee on Discipline and Investigation (CODI) said it is investigating a jail guard and jail administrative officers who are allegedly involved in illegal activities at the CPDRC.

CPDRC Jail Warden Romeo Manansala submitted to Provincial Administrator Atty. Mark Tolentino a list of names of jail personnel who are reportedly involved in illegal drugs and other activities inside the detention facility.

“We will start eliminating these guards and admin (personnel, if proven guilty)… This is a way for us to see who these rotten apples in our basket are. We cannot just let these things go unnoticed and unpunished,” Manansala said.

 “Sugdan na nato ang pag eliminate kinsay mga badlungon diha nga gwardya nga dunay mga negosyo ug kadtong mga nakig deal mga piniriso. This has been the problem many years naman gyud,” he said.

Davide said there are persistent talks of illegal drugs inside the facility and how they slipped inside will be part of the investigation.

“We will be taking measures against these. That’s why we will be purging the CPDRC of kining mga personnel there. Not just the guards but even admin personnel there nga who are in cahoots maybe with the inmates,” he said.

As to the deaths of inmates due to overcrowding, Davide said he will appoint permanent doctors to attend to the health concerns of the inmates.

Provincial Health Office Chief Rene Catan said they have a P6 million budget to improve the health care facilities inside CPDRC.

PHO has already assigned a focal person to assess the condition of existing health facilities inside CPDRC, and by next week it will start executing plans for better health services.

“We have a budget…to convert the facility into a primary care facility.  Mora na sya og level sa mga hospital.  Magbutang na ta og permanent nurses and doctors,” Catan said.

 CPDRC currently has 2,973 inmates, while the facility was built just for 1,600. Overcrowding and the lack of health services made the jail inmates more susceptible to communicable diseases.

CPDRC reported that 10 inmates have died in less than 2 months due to heart attack, cardio pulmonary arrest, septic and cardiogenic shock and other heart-related ailments as well as due to difficulty in breathing. — Kristine B. Quintas, Mae Clydyl L. Avila (FREEMAN)