Preventive Mechanism bill enactment urged
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on Monday urged Congress to enact the National Preventive Mechanism Bill which aims to improve the treatment and conditions of the persons deprived of their liberty (PDL), taking into consideration the relevant United Nations (UN) standards.
CHR spokesperson, Atty. Jacqueline Ann de Guia, made the call as the Commission joins the Catholic Church in the Philippines in the observance of the 33rd National Prison Awareness Week from 19 to 25 October 2020.
The theme for this year’s observance is “Restoring Hope and Healing during this Time of Pandemic through God’s Transforming Unconditional Love.”
De Guia said protecting communities from infectious diseases means protecting everyone, especially those who are not as able to protect themselves. She said vulnerable populations, such as persons deprived of liberty, are often most at risk during public health emergencies.
“They have fewer protections from an outbreak, and may face more significant fallout from any disruptions in daily life. The combination of this new health emergency with the structural existence of high levels of prison overcrowding in the Philippines sounds an alarm that must be addressed immediately,” De Guia said in a statement.
“This extreme lack of space inside these facilities is compounded by serious deficiencies in health, food and safety, which generates unsanitary environments where it is easy to spread diseases. Such situation may also induce conflicts among prisoners themselves and between prisoners and prison staff due to competing spaces and scarce resources,” she added.
They have fewer protections from an outbreak, and may face more significant fallout from any disruptions in daily life.
De Guia said numerous international organizations have been pushing for a demographic reduction in prison, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet and the UN Subcommittee on the Prevention of Torture. But in doing so, the Commission reminds the government that pardons and clemencies must be granted fairly and based on objective and compassionate grounds — prioritizing the elderly, the sick and those who have committed minor offences.