A Mockery of Our Legal System

There are prisoners and there are rich prisoners.  You can either be one or the other.  In the Philippines, the latter has special privileges than he could hopefully ask for…or pays for. Why are prominent prisoners allowed to have their own huts outside the prison compound? These prisoners live there like free men, and not inside their prison cells.  This policy, made legal in the prison system only shows that even inside prison, class distinction remains: the poor are underprivileged and the wealthy continue to be privileged. Yes, only in the Philippines. Woe to those prisoners who have no money to  neither bribe nor bargain for, they rot in jail so long as their entire sentences last.

Such are just among the flaws this prison system our country has.  While getting justice for a crime against us or to our love one is so long a process one has to painfully and desperately endure, the finality is not yet over even if the verdict is for the guilty to rot in jail. Before one knows it, the moneyed guilty party is in and out of jail enjoying a freedom which otherwise is a right allowed only to a law abiding citizen.  How very ironical.  This has been a rotting system practiced for too long a time regardless of who is holding the highest official in the government’s office.  Presidents come and go, promising positive state changes one after the other, but nobody among them left with that part of the agency, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), cleaned and freed from all rotten system it has been known for.  But then, what’s new?

High profile jail personalities like Rolito Go, Romeo Jalosjos,  and of very late, former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste, guilty of murder, and God knows who else, in whose committed crimes are as sensational as their personalities, were just among those featured to have enjoyed special privileges while rendering their supposed sentences in jail.

“Heads will surely roll”, or so a government official said each time a mess such as this appeared in the headlines.  A statement used and overused from mouths of government officials, then and now.  But it remained exactly just those…words.  No concrete steps are and was undertaken.  Not in the past.  Surely, not now.

The present administration claims fighting corruption is the number one priority.  Now is the right time to shine as calls for an overhaul to the country’s penal system in the wake of a recent incident is being talked about.  For how else can you describe the rationale behind these special privileges inside the cell except corruption in its highest order?  For a Director of Prisons to say that the rotten system is there already before he came in or assumed office is a bullshit par excellence.  Any chief of an agency, be it government of private, has the ability to change a system for the better.  It is always a challenge to be given a job whose responsibility calls one to make a major overhaul over an ineffective system.  Other government appointees just accept a job without meaning to offer something fresh and new to start the trust of people all over again. They knowingly continue to head a corrupt system and yet have the balls to give it as their excuse.  What funny kind of leadership!

We have been in awe with other advanced countries in many respects, copying one aspect to another, why cannot we copy their style of no-nonsense style of leadership and management? Why, ours remains to be full of flaws and thus put our justice and legal system in mockery.  Aren’t we feed up of how many people power revolution we have to stage to deserve a better change in the government?

Let us call for an iron hand to come up with a strong recommendation on the conduct and treatment of prisoners in our Bureau of Corrections, regardless of whether an inmate has money or not.  For, clearly the existing set-up is terribly flawed, such that neither removal nor reassignment of certain personnel alone merit a big change.  What is called for instead is sweeping top-to bottom reforms.  This has been going on for years; does this have to go for a lifetime? I hope this country is beyond that. We shall call the government to put their acts together.  Now is the time to stop talking and start working.

Special Treatment Given to Rich Prisoners in the Philippines

This article is focusing on the double standards rules and regulations that the jail authorities for the inmates who are from rich and influential families versus the inmates who are ordinary citizens and who come from low socio-economic level.  Although, this issue has been denied by the concerned jail personnel every time they get interviewed by the media; still, the fact remains the same that there is no equal treatment of the law towards the prisoners.  In fact, Bishop Pedro Arigo, Chairman of the Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines quoted “It clearly shows that we don’t have real justice here; no equal treatment of the law.  If you don’t have money, you’ll suffer.  But if you have money, you’ll have influence and connections and you will have special treatment.”  The bishop comment is relevant to the different scenarios in the jail about many incidences of escapes of various rich and influential prisoners in the country.  There are cases, that these people are even given special appointments to go out from the jail in times of important occasions that they suppose to attend to outside.  Bishop Arigo added that the “culture of exemption to punishment among rich inmates must be blamed for this. 

(http://www.ucanews.com/2011/05/20/bishop-slams-special-treatment/ )

Based on the report in  the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which is referring to the case of a high profile inmate who is a strong evidence of special treatment case inside the detention cell.  In fact, this man, was convicted with child rape and acts of lasciviousness in his place, He has two-life sentences for the particular crime he did, and many other charges filed against him by some people.  During the election, he ran for a particular position, and he won.  Nowadays, he is still a politician who seems to be making his detention cell as his headquarters for his official meetings with his staff.  Aside from this, he even requested the Supreme Court to allow him to attend meetings and sessions in the House of Representatives; thank God! The Supreme Court denied his motion. It is reported that this man is staying in a well furnished air-conditioned room inside the jail.  His room is furnished with an LCD TV worth one hundred fifty thousand pesos.  Of course, he really can afford to buy anything even in jail because he is remarkably a wealthy political figure.  Additionally, he has complete appliances inside his room and a large-sized comfortable bed.  At the same time, his bathroom is decently designed and well furnished as well.  Moreover, it is also reported that he built also merchandise stalls, coffee shop and bakery as well as tennis court inside the jail compound.  He even financed the construction of the well equipped gymnasium that costs four million pesos.  What else, he likewise funded the building of “International Park” which is situated in the center of maximum security compound of the said detention building. 

 (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081010-165605/Perks-for-rich-jailbirds)

This is only one of the many special treatment cases inside the cell.  As a matter of fact, various prisoners who came from rich and most prominent families have been treated differently from the ordinary prisoners.  This is very prevalent among politician-prisoners; these political figures are even elected while they are inside the jail.  And, still do their official duties as political figures in the government.  As a matter of fact, many rich political figures as well as wealth and influential individuals who do not really experience the hardships of being there inside the jail.  Still, they are provided with all their needs and most  of their wants.  You can not say that they are totally deprived with the normal life that they used to have before. But compared to the ordinary prisoners, they are luckier because they have their ways and means to enjoy half of their lives while living inside the prison.  Nevertheless, I feel for those poor detainees who are being made as servants of the rich prisoners.  In contrast, there are many reports on the poor condition of many ordinary inmates in the prison.  They have poor food supply from the management.  A lot of inmates are working hard inside. They are cleaning the bathrooms, cleaning the entire compound and many other heavy works that are being assigned to them.  The question is; do the rich and prominent prisoners experience the same fate inside the detention cell?

There are many things that money can buy; and it is a vivid picture of doing favor to the rich prisoners because they are wealthy and have various connections everywhere.  But, the fact still remains clear, that despite their effort to use their financial resources; they have to face the sentence that they have to commute inside the jail.  Whatever good deeds they do while inside the prison; will only determine if they would have changed from their old selves and are deserved to be given pardon or amnesty.  Who knows?

Reference:

(http://www.ucanews.com/2011/05/20/bishop-slams-special-treatment/ )

 (http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20081010-165605/Perks-for-rich-jailbirds)