BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Commission on Human Rights chair Etta Rosales on Saturday said personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) committed human rights violations in their treatment of inmates who held noise barrage last Saturday at the Bataan Provincial Jail here.
“Definitely, there were human rights violation,” Rosales said after talking to prisoners. She cited two reasons for BJMP’s violation: one, there was no consultation in the demolition of kubol/tarima or makeshift cubicles; and two, there were injuries inflicted.
She said that truncheons were used and seeing those injured, there was no doubt that human rights abuses were inflicted.
Rosales said prisoners claimed that they should not have conducted noise barrage had BJMP informed them about its plan of constructing new ones. The makeshift cubicles are used by the inmates and their wives during conjugal visit scheduled every Saturday.
“Dapat makatao trato sa mga detinido at iyan ang tinitingnan ng CHR sa pagbisita sa inyo,” she told detainees who clapped their hands in appreciation. She said they would conduct a wide-ranging investigation on the matter to pinpoint culpability.
She noted that justice system is also a major problem with inmates languishing in jail for long years.
“Nagtatagal ang kaso, ito ang dapat ayusin ng gobyerno,” she said. Later in the day, she held a dialogue with representatives of families of the inmates and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
IBP-Bataan reported that 42 have been injured during Saturday’s unrest when members of the media were barred entering the jail.
Lawyer Emiliano Pomer, IBP-Bataan president, said the problem on the justice system mentioned by Rosales is a problem not unique in Bataan but in all provinces. “Talagang mabagal ang takbo ng mga kaso dahil sa kakulangan ng mga prosecutors.”
Pomer said that in Bataan alone, the provincial prosecutors’ office needs eight prosecutors but that it has only three. Balanga City has one that requires three prosecutors.
“Definitely, there were human rights violation,” Rosales said after talking to prisoners. She cited two reasons for BJMP’s violation: one, there was no consultation in the demolition of kubol/tarima or makeshift cubicles; and two, there were injuries inflicted.
She said that truncheons were used and seeing those injured, there was no doubt that human rights abuses were inflicted.
Rosales said prisoners claimed that they should not have conducted noise barrage had BJMP informed them about its plan of constructing new ones. The makeshift cubicles are used by the inmates and their wives during conjugal visit scheduled every Saturday.
“Dapat makatao trato sa mga detinido at iyan ang tinitingnan ng CHR sa pagbisita sa inyo,” she told detainees who clapped their hands in appreciation. She said they would conduct a wide-ranging investigation on the matter to pinpoint culpability.
She noted that justice system is also a major problem with inmates languishing in jail for long years.
“Nagtatagal ang kaso, ito ang dapat ayusin ng gobyerno,” she said. Later in the day, she held a dialogue with representatives of families of the inmates and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.
IBP-Bataan reported that 42 have been injured during Saturday’s unrest when members of the media were barred entering the jail.
Lawyer Emiliano Pomer, IBP-Bataan president, said the problem on the justice system mentioned by Rosales is a problem not unique in Bataan but in all provinces. “Talagang mabagal ang takbo ng mga kaso dahil sa kakulangan ng mga prosecutors.”
Pomer said that in Bataan alone, the provincial prosecutors’ office needs eight prosecutors but that it has only three. Balanga City has one that requires three prosecutors.
