50 more jail inmates finish rehab program

CEBU, Philippines — Around 50 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) with drug cases at the Cebu City Jail have completed their six months rehabilitation program.

Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP) head Jonah John Rodriguez said the moving up ceremony was held Friday.

The 50 PDLs have court order to undergo outpatient rehabilitation of COSAP.

It was the third batch of the program bringing a total of 150 PDLs already completed for outpatient rehabilitation.

Rodriguez said that after the six months rehabilitation, COSAP turned over the PDLs to the Department of Social Welfare and Services for another six months of aftercare program.

This is to prevent the PDLs from possibly going back to their vices after graduation.

Rodriguez explained that the aftercare program includes the skills training, livelihood project training, among others.

Before the graduation ceremony, Rodriguez said the PDLs underwent surprise drug tests and all of them yielded negative results.

“In between sa atoang rehab session wala nag-positive sila kay in between mag-drug test man gihapon ta for monitoring purposes,” Rodriguez further said. — GMR (FREEMAN)