CHR calls for transparency on Bilibid COVID-19 details

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has called on the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) leadership to be more transparent on the situation of reported high cases of deaths, allegedly due to infection from coronavirus disease among persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

The CHR said that it has been looking into complaints filed before it by the families of PDLs since June, but NBP officials have largely been uncooperative.

Last July 21, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a free and unhampered investigation into reports that nine high-profile inmates died due to COVID-19, but were not immediately reported by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Among those who died inside the NBP because of COVID infection were kidnap-for-ransom and carjacking convict Jaybee Niño Sebastian, and shabu flea market boss Amin Imam Boratong.

The CHR noted that the National Privacy Commission has said that the Data Privacy Act of 2012 could not be invoked by the NBP to “deny the public’s right to know.”

“Public interest in the face of alleged deaths of high-profile inmates due to COVID-19 necessitates disclosure of relevant information about their deaths – both in the interest of justice, as well as in crafting sensible ways forward in preventing further deaths in prisons and detention facilities,” the CHR said in a statement yesterday.

The CHR said that as part of their sustained efforts at looking after the human rights of PDLs in the NBP, they had sent a team to the national penitentiary last June 3 to inquire about the list and number of deceased PDLs; status of COVID-19 testing; reports of cadavers inside NBP; current health personnel and facilities of BuCor; welfare of female PDLs, and release of PDLs following the Supreme Court’s circular on reduced bail and recognizance, among other concerns. – Evelyn Macairan, Delon Porcalla, Ghio Ong