10 CPDRC jail guards, 2 jail employees suspended, probed for links to contraband smuggling inside jail

Ten jail guards and two jail employees of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) have been placed under a 30-day preventive suspension by Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III since Oct. 13.

Davide announced during yesterday’s press briefing at the Capitol the suspension of the CPDRC employees, which was nearly a week after he gave the order.

He said he gave the order after Capitol’s Committee on Discipline and Investigation (CODI) found probable cause to proceed on investigating the 12 CPDRC employees for allegedly conniving with inmates in smuggling inside the jail several contraband such as illegal drugs which were confiscated during a greyhound operation last August 2.

The surprise jail inspection on that day yielded shabu amounting to P230,000 and cash worth P18,800 believed to be proceeds from illegal gambling.

“Twelve CPDRC employees were placed under preventive suspension. I directed the CODI to investigate them based on the confidential reports we received. Reports reaching me indicate that some CPDRC personnel are involved in the commission of acts prejudicial to the interest of the provincial government, and that (this) constitutes misconduct and neglect of duty,” the governor said.

Davide said that the suspension order would be for 30 days unless CODI would find grounds to terminate them from employment.

He said but if found not guilty of the accusations against them then the 12 suspended CPDRC employees would be back to work on November 13.

Davide also assured that if the suspended employee would be cleared of the allegations then he or she would be entitled to back pay and would avail of their performance-based bonuses.

“Investigations are still going on. They were just placed under preventive suspension (so as not to influence or interrupt) current investigations. But if the CODI does not find any determination (of misconduct and negligence of duty), they will be entitled for back pay during the days that they are suspended,” Davide said.

The governor also turned to the police to help augment the CPDRC personnel, who lost 10 men in the investigations for at least a month, and implemented measures such as working in shifts to make up for the slack left by the suspended personnel.

“They’ll see and manage which shifts are needed to be placed with guards. I also requested the PNP (Philippine National Police) to augment more personnel here to make up for the absences of the jail guards,” he added.

Davide said that the CPRDC has 63 jail guards backed by 14 police officers from the Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC).

The 14 police officers were deployed to strengthen the security of the jail after last August 2’s greyhound operation.