Kapatid spokesperson banned in BuCor prisons

MANILA, Philippines — The Bureau of Corrections has barred the spokesperson for the political prisoners’ support group Kapatid from entering prisons under BuCor’s jurisdiction due to alleged protocol violations.

In a statement yesterday, the BuCor cited incidents in 2024 wherein Fides Lim breached protocols, leading to her ban.

Lim wrote to Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on July 8, asking why her photo was displayed at the entrance of the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong with the label “banned.”

On May 25, she was prohibited from delivering meals to political prisoner Rona Degoso, who is being held at the CIW.

According to BuCor, Lim has been violating protocols since February 2024 by refusing to follow queuing procedures and ignoring parking rules.

In March last year, the BuCor said she allegedly refused to be frisked and threatened lawsuits against prison officials.

A month later, she reportedly arranged an interview between an inmate and students from De La Salle University’s Tañada-Diokno School of Law without the BuCor’s permission.

In October 2024, Lim was accused of displaying “confrontational conduct” toward high-ranking corrections officers.

“There are procedures to follow when visiting an inmate. We treat everyone the same,” BuCor chief Gregorio Catapang Jr. said. “No special treatment, all are equal.”

Calling the BuCor the “bureau of malcorrection,” Lim said her permanent ban is a “deliberate act of reprisal” designed to silence her from exposing irregularities inside  the national penitentiary.