MANILA: Makabayan bloc lawmakers have filed a House resolution seeking a joint congressional inquiry into alleged human rights violations and abusive practices by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), including its permanent ban on Kapatid spokesperson and human rights advocate Fides Lim.
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Representative Antonio Tinio, Kabataan party-list Representative Renee Louise Co, and other Makabayan bloc lawmakers filed House Resolution No. 116 on August 6.
The resolution urged the House committees on human rights and justice to investigate BuCor’s alleged “pattern of abuse, denial of necessities, arbitrary restrictions and violations of due process rights” at the New Bilibid Prison and the Correctional Institution for Women.
It cited the permanent ban on Lim, imposed last July 14, for alleged “arrogance” and “disruptive behaviour.”
“The Bureau of Corrections has repeatedly violated the basic human rights of persons deprived of liberty, particularly political prisoners who are already marginalised within the penal system. These abuses should not be ignored because they harm the dignity of people in prison,” Tinio said in a statement on Sunday (Aug 9).
The Department of Transportation chief also encouraged the public to continue reporting such incidents to the agency so that action can be taken promptly.
“This ban on Ms. Lim is clearly retaliatory in nature, targeting her legitimate humanitarian work and advocacy for the humane treatment of political prisoners. There is no reason to ban someone who helps the families of political prisoners,” he added.
On July 16, BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang said the agency was open to any investigation into its operations after Lim called on the Department of Justice and Congress for a probe.
“We are not hiding anything, and I can proudly say that Bucor is one of the
most transparent agencies of this administration, and we value our commitment to accountability. We are ready to collaborate [on] transparency with oversight bodies,” he said.
Aside from raising concerns over the permanent ban on Lim, the resolution also cited BuCor’s alleged neglect in providing adequate medical care to elderly and ailing detainees, its conduct of degrading strip searches on women visitors, and its refusal to engage with human rights monitors, among other issues.
The lawmakers also noted the timeliness of the resolution ahead of the upcoming budget deliberations for the Department of Justice, to which BuCor is attached.
“We cannot in good conscience approve budgets for agencies that systematically violate human rights and target advocates who expose their abuses,” Tinio said.
“We need to ensure that government institutions respect human rights and comply with the law,” he added.
Under the resolution, lawmakers also sought the following:
Hold accountable those responsible for the violations.
Protect the rights of persons deprived of liberty.
Ensure that BuCor operations conform to principles of transparency, legality, and human dignity as mandated by national and international standards, including the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
