The female political prisoners at the Taguig City Jail (TCJ) at Camp Bagong Diwa are crying foul over the fact that the government allegedly constructed a “first class jail” meant only for high-profile detainees.
In a statement, the TCJ female political prisoners pointed out: “It is disappointing to know that a first-class jail is being built for politicians and personalities who pocketed, exploited, and took advantage of the nation’s coffers.”
“They are apparently referring to Gigi Reyes, former chief of staff of detained Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. Reyes has been isolated from other detainees in TCJ when the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology said she was ‘radioactive’ after undergoing various tests at a hospital,” reports Rhodina Villanueva in The Philippine Star.
The report further noted: “The female political prisoners said they cannot help but compare their detention facility with that of the planned first class jail. Detainees in regular jails suffer, they are cramped in small spaces. There is a shortage of beds. And there is lack of water supply and facilities for those who are sick.”
The group Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) backs the inmates’ complaint. The group said that “the so-called state of the art jail is one of the projects funded by the Disbursement Acceleration Program, based on Malacañang’s list in its effort to justify DAP, which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.”
SELDA stated, “While the total cost of the jail construction remains unknown, an amount of P20 million from DAP was allocated for the jail. Situated next to the building of Taguig City Jail, the female detainees can see through the corridors the ongoing construction of the ‘first class jail.’ The facility can house three inmates in a room and will have a courtroom for hearing of cases.”
