Cardinal David: Victims of unjust detention must be compensated

RETURN VISIT Accompanied by human rights lawyer Tony La Viña, Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David on Thursday meets with Fides Lim (wearing glasses), spokesperson of Kapatid, and other members of that group founded by relatives of political prisoners, as they present him with a painting by a political detainee. David returned to the Metro Manila District Jail in Taguig City, his first visit as cardinal, to continue his tradition of celebrating Mass for its inmates. —Contributed photo

MANILA, Philippines — Kalookan Bishop Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David on Thursday called for a law providing compensation equivalent to the minimum wage for persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) who are eventually acquitted.

The cardinal made the call after celebrating Mass for PDLs at the Metro Manila District Jail in Taguig City. The Mass coincided with Pope Francis’ scheduled visit to Rebibbia Prison in Rome to mark one of the Catholic Church’s major events at the beginning of the Jubilee Year 2025, a special year of forgiveness and pardon.

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“I hope a law can be enacted where all PDLs who are not yet convicted and are eventually acquitted will be compensated by the government, even at minimum wage (around P20,000 per month they were imprisoned), so that when they start their life over, they will have capital,” David said, as relayed by the human rights group Kapatid, which initiated the visit.

Under Republic Act No. 7309, victims of unjust imprisonment or detention may be compensated based on the number of months of imprisonment or detention. Provided, however, that in no case shall such compensation exceed P1,000 per month.

In all other cases, the Board of Claims can approve a claim of up to P10,000 or the amount needed to cover expenses like hospitalization, medical treatment, lost wages, or other injury-related costs, whichever is less.

The cardinal started his homily by discussing the cultural nuances in Philippine languages, citing as an example the phrase “tao po,” which Filipinos often use when knocking on the door to check if someone is inside the house.

David, a Kapampangan, said that in their province, instead of “tao po,” the usual phrase is “Diyos po”—as if to say that they are “arriving in the name of Jesus.”

A world with no PDLs

The priest recalled that when he was a child, he asked who was knocking on the door when the person said “Diyos po” to which his grandfather told him: “Let them in first before asking who they are. There’s no God who intends harm.”

David intertwined these reflections with other stories of hospitality and hope, which is the theme of Christmas, including a retelling of Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables,” focusing on the journey of Jean Valjean, a thief who stole bread and was imprisoned and found redemption through the Church’s kindness.

The cardinal also recounted an anecdote from his seminary days during the traditional Christmas play “Panunuluyan,” where a student playing an innkeeper deviated from the script by allowing Mary and Joseph to enter, saying after the show, “Ayoko, ang sungit ng character ko. Bakit ko itataboy si Jesus?”

David ended the Mass with a prayer: that the Lord’s dream be realized—a world where there is no need for PDLs and where freedom shines brightly.

Systemic challenges

On Jan. 16, David, then a bishop, had already visited and celebrated Mass for PDLs, marking the first time a Metro Manila bishop held such an activity for them in the Taguig compound.

“You are very fortunate because then Bishop Ambo opened the year with a Mass in this jail. He was still wearing a purple skullcap, and he returns today to close the year with another Mass, now wearing a red skullcap because he is a Cardinal,” said Gerry Bernabe, national coordinator of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care, during the gathering.

After the Mass, held on the fifth floor of a building housing some of the prominent political prisoners in the country, David engaged with PDLs as they detailed the systemic challenges they faced, such as overcrowding, inadequate food and medical services, and the slow pace of justice.

Political prisoner and National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultant Adelberto Silva highlighted the inhumane conditions in Philippine prisons, which rank among the most overcrowded globally.

“We hope, Cardinal David, that with your help, awareness can be raised about the grave issues Filipino prisoners face, so we may push for reforms in the prison and justice systems, as well as pursue just peace in our country,” Silva said.

David called for the release of political prisoners as a meaningful first step toward the Jubilee Year’s Pilgrimage of Hope and reiterated his wish for a peaceful resolution to the world’s longest-running insurgency through resumed peace talks.

757 political prisoners

Peasant rights group Tanggol Magsasaka, meanwhile, called for the immediate release of the 757 political prisoners “unjustly detained” in detention facilities around the country.

“These individuals—farmers, labor organizers, urban poor advocates, media practitioners, educators, environmental defenders, human rights advocates, and peace workers—are incarcerated on fabricated charges designed to stifle dissent and intimidate activists and government critics,” the group said in a statement.

Among them are activist Amanda Echanis and journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio, both of whom were arrested in 2020 for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

The group also called for the release of elderly prisoners, such as alleged New People’s Army members Rosita Taboy and Evangeline Rapanut, as well as peace consultant Frank Fernandez and his wife Cleofe Lagtapon.

Tanggol Magsasaka noted that out of the 757 political prisoners in the country, 156 were women, while 103 were part of the elderly. Their continued detention, particularly as they endure worsening conditions behind bars, “is a violation of their human rights and a blight on our nation’s democracy.”

Citing reports from human rights groups Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (Selda) and Karapatan, Tanggol Magsasaka criticized the “deplorable conditions” within the country’s detention facilities.

Political detainees, the group said, have to endure “overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and the psychological toll of prolonged, unjust imprisonment.”

Tanggol Magsasaka pointed out that the country remains a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which “explicitly guarantees the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, peaceful assembly, and protection against arbitrary detention.”

“The existence of political prisoners starkly contravenes these universal rights and tarnishes our nation’s commitment to justice and democracy,” Tanggol Magsasaka said. —with a report from Gillian Villanueva