Capitol wants to distribute manuals to provincial jail guards

Saturday, February 11, 2012

PROVINCIAL jail guards should have a book of instructions with a list of their responsibilities. That’s why the Capitol wants to implement the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) manual.

A series of incidents involving prison guards who were reportedly lenient on their wards during court hearings prompted the Capitol to take this course of action, said Jose Ma. Gastardo, the newly appointed consultant on jail matters.

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All procedures and rules in the jail, including the functions of prison guards, are specified in the manual, he said.

He, however, refrained from showing a copy of the manual to Sun.Star Cebu yesterday, saying he still has to endorse it to the Provincial Board (PB) for approval.

The manual also discusses standard operating procedures of the jail, specifically the “jail to court-court to jail” travel.

Gastardo drafted the manual when he was still a PB member, when he was chairman of the committee on peace and order.

Newbie at CPDRC

He said the Local Government Code allows the Capitol to come up with a manual.

However, he skirted the issue of jail guards possibly lacking the necessary training, especially when it comes to escorting inmates to court hearings. 

Gov. Gwen Garcia, in a previous press conference, said Gastardo would be “very instrumental” in seeing to it the operations manual is properly implemented at the CPDRC.

Cesar Veloso, Capitol’s consultant on security, welcomed Gastardo’s “innovations” at the CPDRC. However, he said Gastardo will need his advice since the latter is not yet familiar with the jail.

“He’s not yet well-versed,” Veloso told reporters at the governor’s office.

Veloso was Capitol consultant on penology before Gastardo replaced him.

He said Gastardo’s presence at the CPDRC is a matter of development.

Veloso said the jail has its “ups and downs” and the governor did not like it.

He also said jail guards at the CPDRC are not under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, so they don’t have the same training.

He said all provincial jails are under the governor’s office.

Gastardo will hold a whole-day re-orientation of all 22 jail guards today to inform them of prison regulations.

He will be assisted by lawyer Lito Astillero, chairman of the committee on discipline and investigation.