More than 600 persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) launched a protest at the Negros Occidental District Jail-Male Dormitory (NODJ-MD) in Bago City, Negros Occidental starting August 24. This was in response to numerous cases of rights violations inside the jail under the leadership of Jail Warden JCINSP Atty. Crisyrel P. Awe, DSC.

For over four days, the PDLs have boycotted jail activities such as religious gatherings, Alternative Learning System classes, cleaning duties, and other programs. They held their collective action with determination and coordination.

According to Kapatid (Families and Friends of Political Prisoners)-Negros, the PDL protest is a “call for dignity” amid continuous violations of their rights inside the jail.

The PDLs complain about Warden Awe and his personnel for harassing and intimidating PDL leaders, and the warden’s failure to honor previous agreements with the PDLs, unjust isolation practices, and irregularities in implementing the jail’s cashless system. They also suffer from reduced food rations, restrictions on visitation, suspension of livelihood programs and vegetable planting, and denial of access to medicine and medical services.

“These acts not only trample upon the rights of PDLs but also expose the culture of impunity within jail management,” Kapatid-Negros said. The group believes such measures have no place in an institution that should uphold justice and humane treatment.

In support of the PDLs’ struggle, the national leadership of Kapatid submitted a letter to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) National Headquarters and to the Commission on Human Rights, urging them to immediately conduct an investigation and take action on the situation at NODJ-MD.

The group also submitted a petition and appeal signed by more than 600 PDLs of NODJ-MD. “The collective petition—signed by all PDLs in the facility—marks an unprecedented show of unity that underscores the seriousness and credibility of their grievances,” Kapatid national spokesperson Fides Lim said.

She added that the united petition highlights the “deep crisis in jail management and rights observance” which requires the urgent attention and response of the BJMP and other government agencies. Kapatid recognized the courage of the PDLs in speaking out and standing their ground, especially inside a tightly controlled environment where fear of retaliation constantly prevails.

Lim further said that the policies enforced at NODJ-MD clearly violate the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules), Republic Act 7438 (Rights of Persons Under Custodial Investigation), and the BJMP’s own regulations.

In relation to the PDLs’ protest, Human Rights Advocates Negros reported on the morning of August 28 that Warden Awe ordered using rubber bullets against the protesters and cutting off electricity in the dormitories to forcibly suppress their collective action.

NODJ-MD has 31 dormitories, of which 24 are regular dorms, 6 are insular dorms for convicted prisoners, and one serves as an isolation dorm. Among those imprisoned in the facility are political prisoners, including Fr. Frank Fernandez.