76 reformists graduate from out-Patient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reformation Program in Naga City
76 reformists during their graduation from the Plea Bargaining Program last August 15. | City Government of Naga, Cebu FB
CEBU CITY, Philippines- A total of 76 reformists have successfully graduated from the Plea Bargaining Program for Persons Who Use Drugs (PBP-PWUD) after six months in the Out-Patient Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reformation Program in Naga City, Cebu, last Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
These reformists were arrested for drug-related cases, who pleaded guilty and were mandated by the court to do a plea bargain upon release.
Plea bargaining allows the accused and the prosecution to arrive at a mutually satisfactory disposition of the case, where the defendant pleads guilty for a lesser offense.
Reformists enrolled in this program had to undergo 28 sessions of psychoeducation, religious, family, community service, and other intervention programs that would help in their rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
“They underwent orientation last August 2022 but started formal sessions last November 17, 2022,” said Lloyd Brian Davin, City of Naga Center for Recovery and Reformation officer-in-charge.
There are 93 reformists who applied for the plea bargaining program. However, 17 were terminated.
“Ang uban ato is either na terminate, ang uban sad ato nadakpan while attending sessions,” said Davin.
(Some were either terminated, while some were caught while attending sessions.)
According to him, reformists were terminated after being positive twice in a random drug test or for having two strikes of absences during sessions without justifiable reasons and for committing another crime while attending sessions.
The recent batch of graduates was from batch 38 to 51 and is the fourth batch to graduate, wherein six are women.
After graduation, reformists were given an opportunity to work in the local government unit as job order employees, while some were endorsed to the barangays.
“In fact, naa mi mga graduates before nga until now, naa gihapon diri ga trabaho,” said Davin.
(In fact we have graduates before who, until now, are still working here.)
As an in-kind appreciation for the completion of the program, Naga City also gave 10 kilos of rice to every reformist, highlighting a new start to their lives.
There are already 358 graduates since the program was started in Naga City last October 18, 2019.
Naga City is located along the southern coast and is a fifth-class component city in the Province of Cebu.
/bmjo
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