Senator Francis Pangilinan wants to improve detention situations in the country as the number of criminals being jailed rise.
Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan wants the government to pay attention to the present detention situations in the country as more and more criminals fall onto the hands of law.
He called on the agencies to prioritize the needs of prisoners amid the rising number of inmates due to Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs and crime.
Pangilinan predicted that due to the anti-crime campaign, jails and prisons “will become increasingly crowded, increasingly uninhabitable, and increasingly unbearable.” He reiterated his call to improve the environment for inmates as he cited that the “deplorable situation” makes high-profile suspects evade their jail or prison time.
The senator felt sorry of the “deplorable situation in jails” and urged the local agencies to take notice of these problems especially since he is alarmed by the increasing number of prisoners. He said the prisoners should get their basic needs and space.
“This deplorable situation in jails and prisons is one of the reasons why high-profile suspects of high crimes evade jail or prison time — at all costs, including the cost to justice. Improving the conditions in jails and prisons would serve justice,” Pangilinan said.
“Sobrang dami noon. Sobrang sikip. Hindi makatao. Kahit ang mga hayop, nangangailangan ng tinatawag na ‘space boundaries.’ Sa pagtatanim ng mga halaman, ganun din. Kailangan may puwang sa pagitan nila, para makahinga at lumago. Eto ang mga pangunahing pangangailangan at karapatan ng tao: pagkain, tubig, tirahan, damit, exercise, tulog, hangin. I mention air because from the pictures, I can imagine how hard it is to breathe there, how hot, and how prone to getting sick,” Pangilinan said in a released statement.
“As Congress awaits the budget proposal for 2017, I urge the agencies directly in control of jails and prisons to consider their wards’ needs. We will support budget increases toward these and we will monitor their use after,” he said.
The senator made the statement after photos and reports of crowded jails surfaced and reached the international media. The media cited Quezon City jail as an example. The prison was built 60 years ago to house 800 inmates, but now it’s nearly five times more than capacity with an estimated 3,800 inmates.