Hunger strike, noise barrage erupt in jail

TAGUM CITY—More than 500 inmates of the Compostela Valley provincial jail here have gone on hunger strike and staged noise barrages for days now to press authorities to speed up the disposition of their cases, the release of political prisoners and address other grievances, including prison congestion.

“This has been going on since last week,” Melvin Coquilla, Compostela Valley jail warden, said.

The recent noise barrage was the second round of protest staged by the inmates this year, Coquilla said.

He said the prisoners would bang the iron bars in their cells to create noise thrice a day.

“The protest is being led by a suspected New People’s Army detainee and 15 of his comrades,” he said.

Compostela Valley Rep. Maricar Zamora-Apsay admitted that the lack of regional trial courts (RTCs) in the province was one reason cases were slow-moving.

The Inquirer learned that the province’s only regional trial court, RTC Branch 3 in the capital town of Nabunturan, has to resolve over 2,000 pending cases.

Even RTC Judge Hilarion Clapis Jr. admitted it was difficult to resolve the cases by himself.

“We have been asking for additional RTC salas for Compostela Valley and until now we’re still waiting,” he said.

Efforts have already been made for the establishment of two more regional trial courts in Compostela Valley to declog the lone RTC sala, Apsay said.

She said House Bill No. 00126, which proposes the establishment of two more RTCs in the province, had been transmitted to the Senate.

“We really have to admit, the backlog of cases is serious. This protest only showed the Senate needs to act fast,” Apsay said.

The Supreme Court has initiated what it called a Wheels on Justice program to help declog courts of pending cases.

Through the program, buses are converted into courtrooms with a judge, staff and facilities to speed up the disposition of cases.

In areas where mobile courts have gone, many detainees awaiting decisions on their cases have been released.

The continued delay in the disposition of cases is expected to worsen, however, as the Supreme Court recently clashed with the Executive over a reduction in the budget of the entire judiciary. Frinston L. Lim, Inquirer Mindanao