By CESAR JOLITO III
Persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the Negros Occidental District Jail – Male Dormitory (NODJ-MD) staged a 12-hour hunger strike yesterday, while their families rallied in front of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology – Negros Island Region (BJMP-NIR), calling for the removal of Jail Warden Crisyrel Awe over allegations of inhumane treatment and administrative neglect inside the facility.
Inmates reportedly refused food from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., as the PDLs denounced what they describe as repressive policies that compromise their health, safety and dignity.
Families and rights advocates claim that meals provided to PDLs are insufficient and sometimes unfit for consumption.
“They are fed with unconsumable food, which is inhumane because they are also human,” one inmate’s wife said during the rally.
She emphasized that the protest was initiated by the inmates themselves, who feel neglected and mistreated under current management.
“Almost everything is prohibited,” she said.
Allegations of abuse, neglect
Felipe Gelle Jr., Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) spokesperson, condemned the reported violations, stating that the hunger strike represents a continuation of detainees’ ongoing struggle for justice.
“This fast continues the struggle as abuses persist and demands for justice remain ignored,” Gelle said.
The protest coincides with a position paper submitted by detainees and KAPATID-Negros in late November, which documents systematic deprivation of food, medicine, sunlight, visitation, and educational programs, as well as arbitrary punishment and confiscation of PDL property.
The paper also cites the November 7 death of inmate Warlito Turbela, allegedly linked to harsh lockdowns and neglect, and a recent court ruling limiting solitary confinement to 15 days in favor of detainee Lorenzo “Tisoy” Perolino.
Since the noise barrage was staged by inmates calling for the replacement of Awe on August 28, NODJ-MD has intensified security protocols — including strip searches and body cavity searches.
“[The] strip search and body cavity search procedures [are] considered inhumane and degrading. It’s completely naked when someone goes inside the jail facility,” HRAN said, arguing that blaming PDLs only deflects attention from alleged institutional lapses.
BJMP response
BJMP-NIR spokesperson Atty. Juniven Umadhay assured the public that concerns raised by inmates and families would be addressed through a balanced and fair investigation.
Umadhay emphasized the need for strict rule enforcement, citing heightened security measures following recent contraband seizures, including four sachets of shabu and six cellphones.
Families have raised suspicions that some items were planted, while authorities maintain that the investigation is ongoing.
He also defended recent strict frisking procedures for visitors, noting that these are protocol measures intended to maintain security and not to intimidate families.
The hunger strike and family rally mark the latest chapter in a series of detainee-led protests that began in August 2025, including noise barrages and petitions to authorities.
Human rights groups continue to call for independent investigations, the restoration of rehabilitative programs, and the immediate suspension or removal of Awe to prevent further alleged abuses.
Rights advocates warn that the situation at NODJ-MD raises serious concerns under both Philippine law and international human rights standards, including the United Nations Nelson Mandela Rules on the treatment of prisoners./CJ, WDJ