By CZARINA ONG KI
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has sent a team to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) to look into the reported number of deceased inmates amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.
The investigating team will also check the status of COVID-19 testing inside jails, reports of cadavers inside NBP, the current health of personnel and facilities of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), the welfare of female persons deprived of liberty (PDLs), and release of PDLs following the Supreme Court’s circular on reduced bail and recognizance, among several concerns.
The CHR said that BuCor spokesperson Gabriele P. Chaclag was able to provide them with some responses. However, the commission will still coordinate with other agencies for other related concerns.
The CHR has requested the Department of Justice (DoJ) to provide the list of PDLs confined at Site Harry and any other quarantine or isolation areas as well as the list of deceased PDLs due to COVID-19.
“Despite the lapse of over 15 days since then, the Commission has yet to receive a response. We call out the BuCor and the DoJ for their lack of transparency and non-cooperation,” the commission said in a statement.
The CHR has long been advocating for the humane treatment of PDLs.
Sadly, the jail situation in the country leaves much room for improvement, the commission said.
As of March 2020, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) cited a 534 percent prison congestion rate, with some of the PDLs being detained while awaiting trial. Meanwhile, BuCor reported a 302 percent congestion rate within its facilities back in December 2019.
Through the CHR’s Visitorial Division – Preventional Cluster and its participation in the Interim National Preventive Mechanism, the commission has taken steps to mitigate the harmful effects of the pandemic inside jails.
These include the procurement of appropriate personal protective equipment by concerned offices; implementation of “e-dalaw” (online visitation), conduct of online filing before courts especially on posting bail, and the establishment of isolation facilities for PDLs exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms.
“We urge the government to respect CHR’s mandate and work with us on an array of concerns, not only by the families of PDLs, but also their own personnel in different prisons and detention facilities across the country,” the CHR said.
