Various human rights and democratic organizations condemn a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) memorandum on January 10, ordering “enhanced security measures” over prisoners suspected of having links to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) or its allies.

This not only jeopardizes the lives and safety of political prisoners but also legitimizes the use of unfounded political accusations in shaping official policies, according to Fides Lim, spokesperson of Kapatid, an organization for relatives of political prisoners and volunteers. “BJMP should focus on its mandate to uphold the rights and safety of all detainees, and not become an instrument of political persecution.”

The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) also condemned the policy. According to the group, this is a clear example of McCarthyist policies, similar to the ideological witch hunt in history that targeted individuals based solely on suspicion and hearsay.

The tightening of surveillance on political prisoners, including all their letters, interactions with visitors, and external communications, is a gross violation of human rights, they said. These policies will even be aided by “behavioral monitoring” and stricter screening of visitors to determine security threats.

The BJMP order is in line with the malicious and baseless intelligence information provided by former National Task Force-Elcac member Ret. Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade Jr who accused political prisoners of receiving funds from imprisoned drug traffickers which he claimed is being orchestrated by ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro.

“Since when did fake news peddled by a notorious red-tagger constitute a source of evidence that the BJMP should order wardens to act on it?” Kapatid spokesperson Lim said. Lim called on BJMP chief Gen. Ruel Rivera to retract the dangerous memorandum.

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Castro also spoke out against the policy. “The BJMP must be held accountable for this irresponsible action that puts my safety and that of political prisoners at risk,” the lawmaker stated. She also threatened that if the memorandum is not retracted and BJMP does not apologize, she will not hesitate to file appropriate cases and complaints, including administrative cases and damage claims.

Meanwhile, Kapatid emphasized that the memorandum also serves as a clear case of “political partisanship” and illegal campaigning, especially with the upcoming mid-term elections. Rep. Castro is a Makabayan Coalition senatorial candidate along with 10 other national-democratic mass leaders.

Kapatid warns that this move seems to follow the pattern of implicating former Senator Leila de Lima on illegal drugs to justify her wrongful and prolonged imprisonment.