Let guards remain at Second Chance, Labella asks BJMP

The Operation Second Chance Center in barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City. (CDN FILE PHOTO)

CEBU City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said he wants to personally ask the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to allow its personnel to remain in the city’s Operation Second Chance (OSC) center.

“After our request is sent to the BJMP, if necessary I will make an appeal that we maintain the status quo in Operation Second Chance right now,” Labella said.

He also instructed Cebu City Jail Warden Johnson Calub to make the same request to the BJMP and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The OSC is a correctional facility for Children in Conflict with the Law (CICL).

The Cebu City’s Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) passed a resolution urging Chief Supt. Diony Mamaril, BJMP chief, to reconsider the withdrawal of its personnel from the center.

Allowance
PCAC also wanted the BJMP to hold off on their plan to terminate their agreement with Cebu City on maintaining the facility.

“PCAC supports and finds the need for the retention of these BJMP personnel to assist in continued efforts to protect the best interests of the children in conflict with the law  and to promote their (welfare),” their resolution read.

Last Aug. 11, Mamaril wrote Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama saying that they are withdrawing all their personnel from the OSC because it allegedly violates provisions of Republic Act 9344 or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.

“The law doesn’t allow the BJMP to provide subsistence allowance to CICL and other resources, specifically the operation and administrative support like custody, security, emergency plans, movement and transfer of CICLs,” Mamaril said.

BJMP plans to pull out its personnel within this month. The facility houses 200 minor offenders.

BJMP allocates P50 per meal for every youth offender which means it spends P11 million yearly.

The city government allocates P7 million annually for OSC’s maintenance.