Inmate has Facebook access in jail?

The International Justice Mission has requested the Cebu City Jail to investigate a report that a detainee has Internet access while inside the jail.

This was after he allegedly used Facebook to threaten victims of human trafficking.

Atty. Maria Laarni Sheila Guico, prosecutor in the human trafficking complaint against Clark Socorin, who is currently detained at the City Jail, furnished a copy of her letter to Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella.

“We received reports that accused Clark Socorin has access to the Internet inside the jail. The accused has sent messages thru Facebook to the victims, dissuading them from testifying against him and threatening to contact hired killers to get back at his opponents,” read Guico’s April 24 letter.

Labella said he already asked City Jail Warden Johnson Calub to investigate the matter. During the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council meeting yesterday, Labella showed the result of Calub’s preliminary investigation to PCAC.

In the seven-page report, Socorin denied being given access to the Internet while inside the city’s jail facility.

Socorin was detained on June 18, 2014 after being charged with violating the AntiHuman Trafficking law.

In his sworn statement, Socorin said his family, not him, who has access to his Facebook account.

Socorin said he requested his family to speak with the victims or witnesses and request them “to tell the truth about what happened.”

Socorin also denied the allegation that he threatened witnesses.

“The case investigator scrutinized the subject’s (Socorin) Facebook account with (the) consent (of the detainee and) found out that last message sent was dated 30 March 2015. Further, no threat or any offensive messages were found on his Facebook account,” read the preliminary investigation report.

Jail Officer Bartolome Reasol III, the case investigator, asked Guico through email to communicate with them to verify the authenticity of the report she received.

“The statements of the victims/witnesses and the evidence that possibly be gathered will be the pivotal point which may be used to file appropriate action against inmate Socorin,” added the report.

The preliminary report concluded that Socorin did not violate jail rules and regulations and that there is no basis to file a criminal complaint against him.

Reasol, however, recommended that Socorin should be presented before the Inmate’s Disciplinary Board “for appropriate action.”

In addition, Reasol also asked IJM to submit and present documents and evidence to the City Jail so they could act on them. – Jean Marvette A. Demecillo/RHM