Every last
Sunday of the month of October is Prison Awareness Sunday. This year, last
October 27 is the 32nd Prison Awareness Sunday. The purpose of this
is to make us aware of the plight of our prisoners, who are now known as
Persons Deprived of Liberty (PLD). Awareness can lead to care, to prayer and to
charitable action. Even though they are in prison, rightly or not, the
prisoners are still persons with rights that should be respected. For us
Christians, there is a greater reason for caring for them; Jesus identified
himself with them. He said: “I was in prison and you visited me.” (Mt 25:36)
We should be aware
of what is happening in our jails and detention centers, and mostly especially,
with our National Penitentiary, the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). If abuses and
misconduct can happen in the NBP, how much more in the prisons and detention centers
scattered all over the country!
Just within
this month of October the following are in the headlines:
·
Since
October 9 and two weeks hence, there was a continuing demolition of “illegal”
shanties in the NBP maximum prison section. Around 185 “illegal” shanties have
been demolished. How can these shanties be “illegal” within the prison compound
itself? They would not be built in the first place if they had not been allowed
by the authorities! Yes, some of these shanties belong to the rich inmates but
many of them were stores, shops and livelihood centers of striving PLDs who try
to eke out a living even in detention. The demolition was so sudden that they
lost everything – supplies, money, personal belongings – and plus contrabands
and dangerous weapons of the less scrupulous. The prisoners are made to suffer
for these demolitions but the BuCor officials who allowed them in the first
place are scot free – with their bribe money of course!
·
The
Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), which is under the Department of Justice (DOJ),
had to call in the police to back up the demolition work. On October 22 the
news came out that 16 of these cops were relieved by the National Capital
Region Police Office (NCRPO) because they themselves brought in, or allowed to
be brought in, contraband materials like cell phones, liquor, tobacco and
probably, also drugs. What irony! Those who do the work to do away with the
contrabands are the ones allowing them. Why blame the PDL when those guarding
them are the ones allowing and promoting them, and of course at a price!
·
In 17
days of October, since the start of the demotion and the suspension of
visitation rights and even the work of the religious volunteer groups who help
the PDL, 29 inmates have died because of sickness – pneumonia, cardiac arrest,
tuberculosis, dehydration and the lack of medicine and medical attention. There
is a hospital within the maximum prison but, some say, people go there to die
and not to be cured.
These are just
the items that have been brought to our attention. What about the other abuses
of neglect that are rife in facilities which are meant to correct and
rehabilitate people? What rehabilitation activities are being undertaken there
by the government? Not because they are in prison or have committed crime, the prisoners cease to be persons. They are
still people with rights. They need to be respected and cared for.
I laud the
people who have taken the care of prisoners as their special ministry. This is
no easy service. Some church people do not even understand them. But they do
this thankless job with generosity and as an expression of their faith. Someday
they will hear these affirming words of Jesus: “Come, you that are blessed by
my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever
since the creation of the world.” (Mt 25:34)
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