Male political prisoners of Special Intensive Care Area 1 – Metro Manila District Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa filed on January 27 a Joint Manifestation at the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 266 and Branch 271 to require S/Supt. Michelle Ng Bonto to explain violations of the rights of political prisoners. Bonto is the current warden of the Special Intensive Care Area-1 at Camp Bagong Diwa.
Male political prisoners of Special Intensive Care Area 1 – Metro Manila District Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa filed on January 27 a Joint Manifestation at the Taguig Regional Trial Court Branch 266 and Branch 271 to require S/Supt. Michelle Ng Bonto to explain violations of the rights of political prisoners. Bonto is the current warden of the Special Intensive Care Area-1 at Camp Bagong Diwa.
"By blaming the political prisoners for the suspension of the right of the detainees to visits and thereby provoking violent division among all the detainees of SICA-1, Warden Bonto is putting the life and security of the political prisoners in danger," the manifestation stated. "Papatayin namin kayo! Huwag kayong bababa dito papatayin namin kayo. Lalo na yung matatanda," the manifestation informed the said courts of these threats made by Sputnik "Mayor" Jay Narvaez, a notorious gang leader, who was transferred from Metro Manila District Jail (MMDJ) for having killed a member of a rival gang.
The Joint Manifestation was submitted by lawyers from Public Interest law Center (PILC) as counsels of the political prisoners in SICA-1.
PILC said on January 9, 2015, male political prisoners wrote the BJMP National headquarters through its OIC Director, J/Chief Supt. Diony Mamaril and SICA 1 OIC Warden Bonto, about their intention to stage a symbolic fasting/hunger strike from January 10 to 19, 2015, in time for the Papal visit. The letter also asked that the hunger strike/fasting be respected and should not be subjected to punishment or reprisal. However, the political prisoners, in the course of the hunger strike/fasting faced reprisals, violating their rights enshrined in the law on the Rights of Detained Persons (Republic Act 7438) and international human rights conventions.
The Manifestation enumerated, among others, the following curtailment of prisoners’ rights:
- The streamer the political prisoners hanged on their wing declaring their hunger strike and call for freedom, justice and human rights was pulled down on orders of Bonto.
- Dr. Julie Caguiat, a regular visitor and attending physician of most of the political prisoners, and human rights workers and advocates were not allowed to visit the detainees. Some of the detainees were already weak due to the hunger strike.
- The right to daily exercise and sunning privilege were cancelled and suspended for all detainees.
- No jail visitor was allowed entry in SICA-1 on January 14. "As a result, the other detainees, especially the members of certain hail gangs such as the Sputnik gang, blamed the political prisoners for the prohibition of the visits to them."
"Reportedly, the SICA 1 jail warden herself is instigating the Sputnik gang in threatening the lives and security of the political prisoners and inciting division among all the detainees by unjustly blaming the political prisoners’ fasting/hunger strike as the root of the sudden unfair restrictions on their rights," the manifestation also indicated.
Through the manifestation, the political prisoners asked the Taguig courts to order Jail Warden Bonto to respect the rights of the political prisoners, especially the right to be visited by doctors and religious ministers of their choice, lawyers, relatives and human rights organizationsThey also asked the court to enjoin Bonto from committing further violations of rights of the political prisoners, including transferring their custody without any court order, and for the court to ensure the safety and security of the political prisoners.