Jailers muting our voices, political detainees complain

Screen grab from RTVMalacanang YouTube account

MANILA, Philippines—Human-rights group Karapatan has accused the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) of trying to “mute the voices” of political detainees on hunger strike during Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines.

According to Karapatan, the BJMP warden for the Special Intensive Care Area 1 (SICA1) in Camp Bagong Diwa has been barring visitors of the activists detained in the facility since Tuesday.

These visitors include Community Medicine Development Foundation director Dr. Julie Caguiat and known activist leaders former Gabriela representative Liza Maza, Bayan chair Carol Araullo and Karapatan chair Marie Hilao-Enriquez.

The political detainees in SICA1 include Alan Jazmines, Tirso Alcantara and Leopoldo Caloza, all accused of being communist rebels but identified by Karapatan as consultants to the peace talks between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Pope’s intercession

Karapatan estimates around 500 political detainees in 43 jails nationwide taking part in the hunger strike to dramatize calls for Pope Francis to intercede for their release. Of this number, 32 are in BJMP-run facilities in Camp Bagong Diwa, of which 22 are in SICA1.

Karapatan secretary-general Cristina Palabay said that on Tuesday and Wednesday, SICA jail warden Supt. Michelle Ng Bonto refused to let visitors in either because they were not in the prisoners’ list of approved visitors and doctors and the prisoners, who have been fasting since Saturday, are still “OK” or the visitors needed clearance from higher authorities of the BJMP.

Palabay said that was the first time in recent history that a visiting doctor was denied entry.

“It brazenly violates the rights of the detained persons,” Palabay said, adding that a regular checkup is especially crucial now that the detainees are on hunger strike.

Letter to Francis

On Sunday, a letter to Pope Francis from the 32 political detainees in Camp Bagong Diwa was distributed to the media in a press conference held by Karapatan.

“The BJMP is deliberately violating the rights of the political prisoners and muting their voices so they won’t be heard by the public and Pope Francis,” said Palabay.

The detainees, in a three-page letter to the Pope, noted that on two previous occasions, the intercession of the late Pope John Paul II, his predecessor, led to the release of political prisoners in the Philippines.

In 1981, “the papacy’s direct expression of concern to the Marcos government and also to the world media about the existence and dire situation of political prisoners in the country significantly helped a lot. Very soon after, political prisoners in the country were released in large numbers.”

New batch

“In 1995, during Pope John Paul II’s second visit to the country, a new batch of post-martial law political prisoners again wrote a letter to the Pope about their situation and plea for the release, and also went on a hunger strike… The mass release of political prisoners was immediately granted by [the government] under President Fidel Ramos,” the detainees said.

The detainees claimed they “have been arbitrarily, unjustly and illegally imprisoned, heavily restricted and gravely repressed behind iron bars.”

“We hope that, with your efforts and intercession, and the efforts, too, of many others, our sacrifices will bear positive results, including the return of lost freedom, redress of injustices and respect of human rights,” the detainees asked Pope Francis.