Have internet, ‘visit’ Lapu-Lapu jail inmate

DILG Usecretary Peter Irving Corvera (right) BJMP-7 director Chief Supt. Serafin Barreto (left) and Supt Reynante Rubio during the inauguration of the E-Dalaw room of the Lapu-Lapu City Jail. (CDN PHOTO/NORMAN MENDOZA)

Edwin Remulta, 40, who has been in jail for three years already for murder and illegal drugs had a reason to be happy.

He was all praises to Lapu-Lapu City Jail warden Supt. Reynante Rubio for starting the E-Dalaw service for inmates. “Nalipay kaayo mi sa ilang concern diri namo nga mga piniriso nga bisan og ang mga paryente namo didto sa layong dapit among makahinabi (We are very happy of their concern to us inmates that even if our relatives are far, we can now talk to them.)” said Remulta.

Through the E-Dalaw service, inmates will be able to access Skype, Facebook and e-mail under the supervision of jail guards. Currently, the jail has only three computers for the E-Dalaw. It will be manned by a jail officer who will monitor the inmates’ online activities.

Rubio said the E-Dalaw service is in consonance with the jail’s mandate. “Here in the jail, we are always thinking of the rehabilitation of the inmates, aside from the livelihood, moral recovery programs and entertainment and physical activities, the E-Dalaw will lessen or wipe away their longings for family members who can’t come, especially that Christmas is past approaching,” said Rubio.

Each inmate will be given 15 minutes time online. It is however expected that the inmates will have to contend with long queues to avail of the service as the Lapu-Lapu jail, one of the most congested in Cebu, has 1,138 male and 126 female inmates. They are housed in a jail facility designed for only 450 inmates.

Rubio added they are still looking for other donors to have more computers to be used by the inmates in order to accommodate quite a number of them.

Interior and local government Undersecretary Peter Erving Corvera and  Chief Supt. Serafin Barreto, regional director of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology were the guest of honors of last Saturday’s launching of the “E-Dalaw”.

Usec. Corvera lauded the effort of Rubio and hopes this would also be done in other jail facilities, “this is one way of decongesting jail visits and would heal the loneliness of inmates,” he said.