Inmates, families mixed on reinstatement of visits

FAMILIES and visitors of inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) had mixed reactions to the reinstatement of their visitation privileges.

Some visitors like Fe Compasion were unhappy with the “no physical contact” policy.

“Hasol gyud tinuod. Layo kaayo sa tanan ang akong gigikanan ug di man gud mi makastorya og tarung (It was a hassle. I came from far away from here and when I arrived I can’t even talk to my husband properly),” she said.

Compasion, who came all the way from a mountain village in Compostela town, wishes that the provincial government would allow them to have physical contact with the inmates.

Unlike before when visitors could enter the quadrangle inside the jail facility, the visitors are now be limited to the visitors’ area, where cubicles are set up and they can talk only through glass partitions.

The visitors are no longer allowed to have any physical contact with the inmates as part of tighter security protocols that the management adopted, following recent discoveries of cash, drugs and cellphones in the inmates’ possession.

Some of the inmates were just happy to avail anew of their visitation privilege three weeks after it was suspended.

Inmate Jeremy Baguio said he is fine with the policy as long as he can see his wife and children.

CPDRC assistant jail warden Bobby Legaspi told reporters that they strictly implement the 30 minutes per visitor rule.

Legaspi said upon entering the CPDRC, the visitors need to be checked three times.

First inspection is done by the blue guards, the second by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) personnel who employ two K9 units to sniff their belongings, and finally personnel of the Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC).

PPSC team leader Senior Insp. Zosimo Jabas Jr. urged the public to be patient with them and comply with the security measures.