Health Action for Human Rights or HAHR is a group of health professionals and other volunteers, providing health services to politically marginalized groups in areas of conflict and to political prisoners.
Health Action for Human Rights or HAHR is a group of health professionals and other volunteers, providing health services to politically marginalized groups in areas of conflict and to political prisoners.
We would like to call the attention of J/Dir Diony Dacanay Mamaril, CES(E), Chief of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Secretary Mar Roxas of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the callous and unbecoming attitude of Jail Senior Inspector Michelle Ng Bonto, newly appointed warden of the Special Intensive Care Unit or SICA (for high risk detainees) of Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
For twp days we have been trying to follow up on the 22 political prisoners of SICA, headed by NDF Consultant Mr. Alan Jazmines, who are currently on hunger strike. They are on hunger strike to send a message to the Pope to intervene for their freedom and for justice just as he did for the Cuban 5. Notwithstanding the sacrifices to endure, they are optimistic that given the appropriate time and opportunity, the Pope would listen to their pleas and readily extend his mercy and compassion.
But Jail Warden Bonto seems have no mercy and compassion.
On January 12, 2014, the third day of the hunger strike, HAHR was informed that a number of political prisoners needed medical attention. As a regular and acknowledged health service provider of the SICA political prisoners, we responded. The treatment we received from the jail officials was appalling and disgusting. For two consecutive days on January 12 and 13, I and a paralegal personnel of the human rights group KARAPATAN were barred from entering the jail for the reason that we had no clearance from the National BJMP office. This was relayed to us by the warden’s emissary, a certain Revilla who was the officer of the day. Revilla said that the warden was there but allegedly “not” available to tell us herself.
Despite explaining that never before the past years were we required to secure clearance and also referring to the posted jail policy that there are no limitations to visits of doctors lawyers and religious advisers, we were still forbidden to enter. We even cited Republic Act 7438, “Rights of Arrested, Detained…” but to no avail.
We were then subjected to harassment — they permanently locked the visitors’ gate and ignored our vehement requests to talk with Jail Warden Bonto. One officer videotaped us without our permission and another officer armed with a pistol stood beside us, all to make us uncomfortable. After three hours of asserting our rights and the rights of the detained, listening to the officer Revilla’s mind-boggling, illogical and too much waste of ink to print reasons, we decided to leave. We learned later that inside the prison, we were reported as disturbing the peace and order of the “heavily guarded” facility; and that we would have been arrested if we had not left. The final blow came the next day, January 13, when even the wife of one of the detainees, NDF Consultant Leopoldo Caloza, Mrs. Juliet Caloza was not allowed to see her husband.
Other privileges such as daily sunning and exercises which are beneficial to the prisoners most specially the elderly with chronic medical conditions have also been arbitrarily suspended.
It is clear that the Jail warden Bonto has violated our rights, and the rights of the detained and is thus criminally and administratively liable. We worry for the plight of the political prisoners and will continue to fight for the right to visit and serve them.
And so, on this Papal Visit, HAHR would like to offer this special intercession prayer which we hope can be published and read by the Pope. A prayer for all public servants in the country like Jail S/Insp Michelle Ng Bonto, that may she be imbued with mercy and compassion; to genuinely perform her work and serve with unbridled bias, to not act out of whim for self-promotion nor act as a hand wielding the sword of state impunity!
Viva il Papa!
Pope of the Poor, Hear the Cry of the Poor and Oppressed, Struggle With Us for Peace and Justice!
Free All Political Prisoners!
(signed)
JULIE P. CAGUIAT, MD
Member, Health Action for Human Rights
Cp number 09462278212