Supt. Jessie Calumpang assumed office on Tuesday, replacing Supt. Johnson Calub as Cebu City Jail Warden. (PHOTO GRABBED FROM LITO TECSON’S FB LIVE VIDEO)
The Cebu City Jail has a new warden as Supt. Jessie Calumpang assumed office on Tuesday, replacing Supt. Johnson Calub.
Calub was relieved in the wake of last Sunday’s raid which uncovered 105.4 grams of shabu (methamphetamine) and other contraband inside the jail facility.
Calumpang, who served as deputy regional director for operations of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Central Visayas (BJMP-7), promised to institute changes in jail management to address problems on illegal drugs.
“We will look into the lapses committed by our personnel and do our best to correct them,” he told reporters after the turnover cememony at the BJMP-7 office in Cebu City.
Among his priorities include the demolition of ‘cobols’ or private rooms, eliminating special treatment to some inmates, and limiting the number of visitors.
At present, the Cebu City Jail has 3,089 inmates and only 120 BJMP personnel. Only two jail guards are assigned to inspect people who get inside the jail supposedly designed for just 600 inmates.
“We have an average of 500 to 1,000 visitors a day. One of the ways to control the entry of contraband is to limit the volume of visitors so there will really be thorough inspection,” Calumpang said.
He said visitors will be frisked and inspected before leaving the jail to address the purported sale of illegal drugs behind bars. Calumpang said private vehicles will also be prohibited from entering the Cebu City Jail.
Calumpang recommended the transfer of all jail guards and personnel to disrupt possibly ties with inmates.
“The longer jail guards are assigned in a facility, the higher the possibility that they establish close relationship with the inmates. Our jail guards may be requested by the inmates to bring in the contraband. We have to stop that,” he said.
To easily monitor them, high-profile inmates will be placed in one area inside the Cebu City Jail. “We will be conducting surprise inspections as needed (to seized any contraband),” Calumpang said.
He said some inmates will be tapped as intelligence officers to inform him about any illegal activity inside the jail.
“I know there are still good inmates out there who are willing to cooperate with us,” Calumpang said.
Chief Supt. Allan Iral, BJMP-7 director, earlier ordered the relief of Supt. Calub and 29 jail personnel over reports of the proliferation of illegal drugs inside the Cebu City Jail.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.
