The "Arm of Christ" in the prison hell
Manila (AsiaNews) - The state of the Philippine economy is seen in direct relation to the amount of donations sent to local prisoners at Christmastime. Normally, the Salvation Army delivers its gifts by the first week of December. This year, however, gifts are scarse.
"This shows how Filipinos are suffering from the economic crunch right now," said lay minister Al de Ocampo at the Manila City Jail, where for the past 30 years he has served his prison apostolate. Once a year during the Christmas season, Church and civic organizations donate gifts to prisoners through de Ocampo.
To remedy this year's lack of charitable giving, his organization, "Bisig ni Kristo" (The Arm of Christ) has had to collect money to purchase basic necessities (toothpaste, soap, small towels, mats, blankets) for prisoners. De Ocampo said the problem is all the more intensified considering most detainees' relatives live outside of Manila and cannot afford to come to the city by public transport, much less send them basic supplies.The Manila City Jail, a 19th century colonial construction, was built to hold 800 inmates. Presently, however, over 5,000 men, women and youth are imprisoned there. Women and youth are kept together with common criminals, though prohibited by state law.
Besides being congested, the jail's budget is minimal and has been further weakened through corruption. To feed prisoners the Bureau of Jail Management and Penal Code grants 35 pesos ($ 0.63) for three meals a day per prisoner. Although basic amenities must be supplied by law, a prisoner must content himself with a piece of cardboard rather than sleep on the cold cement. Living conditions at the jail are considered deplorable and have been often criticized. Notwithstanding, no political authority has executed proposed changes.De Ocampo, opting to stay inside prison walls to have direct contact with prisoners, knows their plight all too well: a lack of medicine, medical care, discrimination, human rights violations, among others things, are all a part of their daily struggle for survival.
He also acts as para-legal for those he believes to have been charged unjustly and have no access to legal recourse. He receives minimal support from the Manila Caritas and the Franciscan's Justice and Peace desk. However, there are others who receive better treatment within prison walls. One of them is a known drug dealer who, according to reliable sources, bribes top jail officials with 25,000 pesos ($ 455) a month for their cooperation in protecting his dealings inside the jail.In comparison with recent years, there has been a continued rise in criminals detained at the jail, said de Ocampo. Many cases are drug-related. Drug laws have been amended so as to immediately incarcerate anyone in possession of a few grams of illegal substances. According to De Campo, such changes in the state's laws have facilitated "framings " in which a small amount of drugs are planted on a person, who then is quickly arrested and jailed.Due to a lack of funds, the country's judicial system is slow to process pending cases of prisoners. There are simply too few judges, said de Ocampo.
.png)
27/10/2017 14:37
