Supt. Mario Malana, Chief of the PNP Crame Custodial Center, and other rank and file police personnel, seem to be sacrificial lambs in the VIP treatment of pork barrel biggies and the overstaying visit brouhaha. His relief from his post, while at first blush seemingly laudable, may actually be diverting the need for sincere attention and pinning ultimate responsibility from the reported sweetheart deals by PNP superiors and mercenary politicians with these high-maintenance celebrity detainees.
Supt. Mario Malana, Chief of the PNP Crame Custodial Center, and other rank and file police personnel, seem to be sacrificial lambs in the VIP treatment of pork barrel biggies and the overstaying visit brouhaha. His relief from his post, while at first blush seemingly laudable, may actually be diverting the need for sincere attention and pinning ultimate responsibility from the reported sweetheart deals by PNP superiors and mercenary politicians with these high-maintenance celebrity detainees.
The benefits of international minimum standards regarding the treatment of prisoners—not undue sufferings at the pleasure of custodians—must equitably apply to all, high and low, favoured or not. Non-big time pork barrel accused—particularly political prisoners—reasonably fear and oppose the showcasing of new undue strict detention rules, in violation of our basic human rights.
Arbitrary, unnecessary and inordinate restrictions in terms of prison conditions, space, visitation rights and treatment that are already being imposed or will be imposed as a face-saving knee-jerk reaction to the public outrage against VIP treatment and double standards do not genuinely address the plight of detainees who have no power, influence or connections.
We shall remain vigilant as well as actively espouse and support the peculiar struggle of all detainees and prisoners for our basic rights, not only at the PNP Custodial Center, but more particularly, in other regular detention cells like the BJMP-SICA in Bicutan where political prisoners—most especially women—are being subjected to continuing inhuman conditions and treatment; and, worse, reprisals in terms of undue restrictions, for standing up and exposing abuses and irregularities by prison officials.
We appreciate the important role of media in monitoring and exposing the situation of prisoners and exhort them to continue performing its job without fear or favor.