Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia wants to bring back the world famous dancing inmates show.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1626810/cebu-governor-brings-back-dancing-inmates-show |
Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia is bringing back the “dancing inmates” of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) to attract tourists and hopefully bring income to prisoners whose dance routines posted on YouTube became viral several years ago.
Garcia said she would also reopen the savings account for CPDRC inmates at Cooperative Bank of Cebu. Each inmate, she said, would be given a savings account passbook.
When she was governor of Cebu from 2004 to 2013, Garcia introduced livelihood programs at CPDRC to help inmates earn so they could use their savings once they were released from the provincial jail.
“The inmates, for one, have a community store. Whatever they earn will be divided so all of them will have an income,” she said.
CPDRC became popular because of its dancing inmates, who became a viral hit on the internet when their choreographed dance of Michael Jackson’s music video “Thriller” was posted on YouTube in 2007 by then prison consultant Byron Garcia, the governor’s brother.
The original post has so far earned more than 59.5 million views.
The detainees performed dance routines as part of their daily physical fitness program and rehabilitation, and many of their performances were filmed and released online, which attracted local and international audiences.
In 2010, the public viewing of the dancing inmates was suspended as the provincial government conducted an investigation into the donations and contributions allegedly received by the group.
This time, Governor Garcia said the provincial government had entered into an agreement with dancesport choreographer Edward Jayco to train the CPDRC inmates.
Why would tourists visit a prison in Cebu so they could watch criminals dance? And how is this world famous? The Pyramids, Macchu Picchu, and Stonehenge are world famous because they are mysterious and beautiful works of ancient men. Criminals in orange jumpsuits dancing? Well, many people did flock to Cebu to watch these jailbirds flap their clipped wings. In fact there is an entire Wikipedia article devoted to this subject which you can read here. What really caught my eye was the justification of this program given by former Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr.
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| https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/103505/‘cebu-dancing-inmates-a-tourist-attraction’ |
Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. lauded the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) dancing inmates saying it is one of the unique tourist attractions in the world.
(You have to know that I spoke to a group of tourists and promised them that the most important tourist offering that the Philippines could give is the Filipino),” Jimenez said.
“(And you, inmates, is an example of that offering),” he added.
In an interview, Jimenez said the dancing inmates showed how the Filipinos value rehabilitation more than punishment.
He said such value is unique to the Filipinos so tourists are delighted when they see this trait among Filipinos.
“(They never thought that our values extend to the detention center),” he told reporters.
“I hope that these are values that we will carry with the rest of the country. Like I said, I mean it when I say that this is probably one of the most incredible tourist sites on earth. I hope the world learns more about it,” he added.
The most important tourist offering the Philippines can give is "the Filipino" and these inmates are an example of that offering? Would he say the same thing about Angeles? I hear you can be offered many Filipinas up there if you know what I mean.
The real take away is that "Filipinos value rehabilitation more than punishment." Sure society would like to see criminals go into prison and come out reformed but that does not always happen. It should not be forgotten that punishment is also an end in itself which means the point of being locked up is being locked up. This especially pertains to the death penalty but there is no death penalty in the Philippines.
Perhaps this value of rehabilitation over punishment can best be summed up by Lee Kuan Yew's comments regarding Philippine culture.
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| https://www.esquiremag.ph/long-reads/features/lee-kuan-yew-ferdinand-marcos-a00203-20211006-lfr |
“The difference lies in the culture of the Filipino people. It is a soft, forgiving culture. Only in the Philippines could a leader like Ferdinand Marcos, who pillaged his country for over 20 years, still be considered for a national burial. Insignificant amounts of the loot have been recovered, yet his wife and children were allowed to return and engage in politics.
There is nothing soft about forgiving. It is easy to hold onto a grudge. The issue is not forgiving but forgetting. When tourists flock to watch drug dealers, murderers, and thieves dance they forget who those people really are and what they might do to them if they were to meet outside the prison walls.
Wrong-doers need to be punished. That is the purpose of the law. But in the Philippines you can circumvent the justice system if you simply settle with your victim. Hit someone with your car and almost kill them? It's ok as long as you pay their bills and come to an agreement.
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| https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/434519/hit-and-run-suspect-gets-amicable-settlement-from-two-victims-walks-free |
(The three parties settled their differences amicably. The SUV driver, who caused the collisions, promised to shoulder all expenses, the repair of the motorcycle, the taxi and the minor injuries of the female driver.)
It can be recalled that Villanueva was arrested on Thursday morning, April 7, outside his condominium unit in Barangay Guadalupe.
On the same day, he was also released from jail since all parties agreed to settle.
(We cannot hold him because no complaint was filed and it would be us who would be at a disadvantage… on the criminal aspect, there is none because the parties agreed to settle their differences.)
This man committed a crime and the police say there is no criminal aspect because the parties agreed to settle. That is soft. That is not just forgiveness. It is forgetfulness that this person actually committed a crime. Who knows but he will do it again knowing he can pay his way out of the situation? What is the purpose of having a state if it refuses to enforce the laws?
Putting dancing inmates on display for the public is harmful. It is a stupid spectacle that may get some Youtube hits but does nothing good for society in the long run.
Nineteen-year-old Egan Torrecampo, a lead dancer, said, "When we are dancing we tend to forget why we were here in the first place."
"When we are dancing we tend to forget why we were here in the first place." That is problematic. Rehabilitation does not mean one forgets what they have done. Is the Philippines really so morally bankrupt that dancing inmates are being touted as a world famous tourist attraction? My goodness! Talk about commodifying people.
Didn't anyone stop to think that hundreds upon hundreds of prison inmates dancing in formation isn't really the thing you want to showcase to the world? Sure most nations have criminal prisoners but only the Philippines seems to want to shove them into the limelight. You never see Singapore nor Brunei doing this....
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