Former jail consultant denies irregularities

Former Cebu provincial jail consultant Marco Toral belied allegations that he made money during his supervision of inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC).

Toral said on the contrary, he spent personal money to fund some jail renovation projects and the improvement of their conjugal area in November last year.

He also clarified that he never collected a single centavo from the P30 per hour lease which was collected from the use of 18 rooms used as conjugal rooms by inmates and their spouses during their jail visits.

“We cleaned and improved the conjugal area. On visiting days, inmates who have spouses, as long as they are able to present a marriage certificate, are allowed to use the rooms for a fee of P30 per hour. The money goes to the inmates’ cooperative. They use it to buy medicines for the sick and for hospitalization. There is a list of all the inmates who’ve used it and how many hours they were inside,” Toral said in Cebuano.

Last Monday, the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) called asst. Jail Warden Romeo Manansala to answer questions on the alleged illegal activities inside CPDRC.

Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale raised a concern on the collection of the P30 lease of the conjugal rooms on Toral’s instructions.

Manansala told the PB then that they converted the jail’s isolation area that used to be occupied by inmates sick with tuberculosis into a conjugal area.

He said Toral also extended special treatment to inmate Jennifer Perigrino by allowing her to raise three fighting cocks. A private vehicle was also parked within the jail premises.

“Perigrino asked to raise fighting cocks as a hobby. There was no cockfight at the CPDRC,” Toral said.

Toral, who already resigned as Capitol consultant early this month, said he was prepared to speak with the PB to clear his name on accusations of irregularities.

“I never made money from the inmates. Even a single cent, I didn’t receive any from them,” he said.