Davide said House inquiry on strip search ‘enlightening’

CEBU Gov. Hilario Davide III described as “enlightening” a congressional inquiry into the Feb. 28 mass strip search done during a surprise inspection at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC).

“It was positive as far as I am concerned,” he said in a press conference at the Governor’s Office a day after he appeared at the congressional subcommittee on correctional reforms.

While the strip search drew the ire of former Cebu governor and now Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu’s 3rd district, Davide said the rest of the subcommittee supported the provincial government’s anti-drug drive on inmates.

“In fact, they (subcommittee members) did not object to the strip search except that they made some suggestions like putting the inmates on one place away from public view,” he said.

Davide said only Garcia objected to the strip search conducted by the regional Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-7), describing it as inhumane and cruel.

He said Garcia wants to invite former Capitol consultant on jail matters Marco Toral to the next congressional inquiry sometime in August or September to shed light on the operations inside the CPDRC.

Davide said he will inform Toral about it though they could not force him to appear at the congressional inquiry.

“He (Toral) has long resigned as consultant on jail matters. When I assumed office in 2013, we wanted somebody to look after the CPDRC. I got him because he had the experience and I wanted to give him the chance. He spent seven years in jail until the case against him was dismissed. He knows the ins and outs of jail facilities,” he said.

In August 2016, Toral quit his post after his administration of CPDRC was swamped with issues on drugs, an escape, death of 10 ill prisoners in a month, and illegal operations inside the jail.

“Operations inside the CPDRC used to be good (under Toral) until the unfortunate events happened. And it fell on him. He had to resign,” Davide said.

He reiterated his appeal to transfer the supervision and management of the CPDRC and other provincial jails to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology which has the expertise in handling prisoners.

“Many of our provincial guards were just recommended to us, and out of political accommodation, they are there. Some maybe qualified; others probably not. They had to be retrained,” Davide said.

Two pending bills at the House of Representatives seek to amend section 61 of the Department of Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 to let BJMP take control of provincial jails.

“Of course, the province retains ownership of the facilities. If BJMP has supervision of provincial jails, it would lighten the load of the governor. In that way, he can concentrate on his constituents,” Davide said.

He said operations will continue to be conducted inside the CPDRC to get rid of illegal activities. “It’s my ardent hope to clean the CPDRC from drugs and other contraband before my term ends,” he said.

At least six jail guards at the CPDRC are currently facing an investigation at the province’s committee on discipline and investigation over nefarious activities inside the jail.