Inmates dismantle private rooms; Tomas cuts off allowances to BJMP
Inmates dismantle their ‘kubols’ or private rooms and take out their TV sets and refrigerators as ordered by City Jail Warden Jessie Calumpang. (CDN Photo/Lito Tecson)
USING hammers and crowbars, inmates of the Cebu City Jail dismantled all 36 kubols or private rooms inside the facility and vowed to get rid of illegal drugs.
Supt. Jessie Calumpang, the new jail warden, said the clearing operation was part of the changes to address problems on illegal drugs.
“From now on, there would no longer be special treatments given to some inmates,” he told reporters.
The dismantling came amid Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s decision to immediately cancel the allowances given by City Hall to personnel and officials of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) assigned in the city jail.
In a teleconference with Cebu City Hall beat reporters yesterday, Osmeña said last Saturday’s raids at the Cebu City Jail prompted him to cancel the allowances.
Calumpang said they are investigating how some inmates built and acquired private rooms inside the Cebu City Jail.
Twelve other rooms, however, were retained for conjugal use when visiting spouses of inmates need private moments with each other.
Calumpang said he and other jail officers will monitor activities of inmates to make sure they don’t engage in illegal activities or hide contraband.
“We shall destroy illegal drug activities behind bars. At least, the private rooms are gone. We could now easily monitor the inmates,” he said.
High-profile inmates, especially those facing illegal drug cases, will be housed in one area inside the Cebu City Jail.
Other inmates will be reshuffled and transferred to other cells to disrupt illegal operations.
Calumpang said private vehicles will also be prohibited from entering the Cebu City Jail. Visitors will be limited to allow the jail guards to conduct thorough inspection at the entrance gate.
“To visitors, stop bringing contraband here because you’ll only put the lives of your families detained here in danger,” he said.
Meanwhile, Osmeña said the incentives given to jail personnel were wasted as evidenced by the discovery of illegal drugs, cash and contraband in the city jail.
“I’m compelled to withhold because it does not produce the desired effect which is for them to perform well. But look what happened,” he said.
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