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BJMP displaces sick detainees to make room for Gigi and Janet

Janet Napoles arrives in Bicutan.
Janet Napoles arrives in Bicutan.
While everybody was trying to recover from the emotional performance of President Aquino in his 5th State-of-the-Nation address Monday night, pork barrel queen Janet Napoles was brought to Camp Bagong Diwa jail of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Bicutan,Taguig.

Reports said Napoles arrived at Bicutan from Fort Sto. Domingo, a police camp in Sta. Rosa City , Laguna at 11:15 p.m.

Napoles has been charged with graft, plunder and serious illegal detention in connection with the misuse of the multi-billion Priority Development Assistance involving three senators – Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, Bong Revilla, members of their staff and other personalities.

She joined at the BJMP co-accused Atty. Gigi Reyes, former chief-of-staff of Enrile.

Enrile is in hospital detention at the PNP Hospital in Camp Crame. Estrada and Revilla are detained at the Camp Crame Custodial Center. All three are charged with graft and plunder.

A source at Camp Bagong Diwa jail said as of yesterday, “ both Gigi and Janet are staying at the air-conditioned area near the warden’s office at the ground floor.”

Gigi Reyes panics upon arrival at Bicutan.
Gigi Reyes panics upon arrival at Bicutan.
The source said the infirmary at the fourth floor is currently being renovated for Reyes and Napoles. “It will be turned into an isolation room for political prisoners.”

Wait a minute. Reyes and Napoles are charged with plunder and graft. Those are not political crimes like rebellion or sedition. They are not political prisoners.

The source said the renovation of the infirmary started before the arrival of Reyes from a temporary detention at the Sandiganbayan.

The infirmary renovation displaced detainees who are confined there. Since all the cells are almost filled some are sleeping on the floor or on benches, the source said. “Among those sleeping on the floor is a patient sick of tuberculosis. A pregnant woman who is complaining of spotting sleeps on benches which she joined together.”

The source also said the infirmary had a toilet without toilet bowl. “Now they are installing a toilet bowl.”

On the ground floor of BJMP are offices. The second and third floors are male dormitories.

The fourth floor is the female dormitory which houses 138 high profile and high-risk detainees, including female guerillas of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) captured during the Zamboanga City siege, foreigners, Abu Sayyaf and NPA rebels and other high risk detainees.

They are divided into four cells with triple deck beds.

It will be recalled that Reyes suffered a panic attack the first time she was brought to Camp Bagong Diwa last July 10 upon learning that she would be placed in a cell with nine NPA rebels.

BJMP jail in Bicutan.
BJMP jail in Bicutan.
Napoles was reported to have cried when she heard the order of Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang to transfer her to Camp Bagong Diwa.

In a July 24 resolution, the Sandiganbayan Third Division headed by Tang said the rule for persons charged with plunder, a non-bailable offense, is detained at the a jail nearest the court. “The PNP Special Action Force Training school in Fort Sto. Domingo, Sta. Rosa City in Laguna is not under the jurisdiction of the BJMP, hence it is not a jail.”

Maybe the BJMP administrators are trying to give humane treatment to Reyes and Napoles while they are still on trial.

But humane treatment should not be limited to the two. It should be given to each and every detainee, whatever their status in society.

No one should be thrown to the floor to give the bed to someone who has more money, especially if it’s money stolen from the Filipino people.

Published inGraft and corruption

10 Comments

  1. vic vic

    http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/corr_serv/ProposedTorontoSouthDetentionCentre/Toronto_South_DC_main.html

    Ellen, take a tour at this jail and prison facilities in my neibourhood..it is not very expensive with a bed capacity of 2000
    since it is built by modules (pre fabricated and put together at the site) this is one of P3s and will be paid by the Govt in 30 years.

    All cost and maintenance is assumed by Private Partners for 30 years the expected life of the Assets. Take a tour here:

    http://www.mcscs.jus.gov.on.ca/english/corr_serv/ProposedTorontoSouthDetentionCentre/Images/Toronto_South_images.html

  2. chi chi

    Ano baga at ibinilang si Gigi at Janet bilang “political” prisoners? Ay mali!

    Ano ba namang buhay ito? Sinipa ang dating occupants para i-renovate ang tirahan at ibigay sa mga ‘nag-iiyakang’ plunders at criminals.

    Mga magnanakaw ng pera ng publiko patuloy na ginagastusan ng taxpayers para maging kumportable ang pakiramdam, at pinapayagan naman ng gobyerno. Only in the Philippines!

  3. vonjovi2 vonjovi2

    More fun in the Philippines

    Dito lang ang nangyayari na ang salot sa bayan ay mas nabibigyan ng biyaya. Naka Aircon pa.. Sana ang mga nakapiit doon ay mag rally na mag karoon rin sila ng aircon sa selda nila.

    Hanep talaga… Pinag yayabang pa nila na nilipat sa Bicutan pero pinagawaan naman ng maayos na kulungan.. Political prisoner… Kuno..

    Susunod niyan si Gigi ay naka confime rin katabi ni Enrile. Tutal mag ? naman sila.

  4. Joe America Joe America

    “emotional performance of President Aquino”

    Even VP Binay appreciated the President’s moment of heartfelt expression. You can’t get there? Pretty cold.

  5. From Ronaldo Garcia ng Pasay City:

    Hindi na po ako nagtataka tungkol sa mga ganyan balita kasi dito sa bansa nating pilipinas yun mga high profile personalities na nakagawa ng mga kasalanan tulad ng plunder, malversation etc. ay talagang vip treatment hanggang sa kulungan.

    Dito sa bansa natin hindi talaga pantay-pantay sa batas, kapag mayaman ka at makapangyarihan pwede mong patagalin ang sentensiya, pero kapag mahirap ka lang siguradong kulong ka agad sa kulungan na siksikan na mabaho pa.

  6. fookinGod fookinGod

    money talks bu lllshi t walks in the philippines.

  7. vic vic

    The SC should look at this issue in regards to the Constitutional Guarantee of Equality under the law…or others are more equal under the law?

  8. MPRivera MPRivera

    habang ‘yung nakararaming mga pobre’ng pinagbintangan o biktima ng maruming taktika ng mayayaman ay PANTAY PANTAY na nakakatikim ng sipa, sapok, sakal at kung ano ano pang makahayup na trato bago pa man isalang sa interogasyon ay HAYAN at maliwanag na pinapairal ng ating mga nagpapatupad ng bata$ ang pagkandili at pagprotekta $a mga kawatang magnanakaw ng $alapi ng bayan.

    demokrasya, ha?

  9. MPRivera MPRivera

    masdan ninyo ang litrato ni janet napoles sa itaas at bumubungisngis pa habang inaalalayan ng mga binayarang guwardiya samantalang si gigi reyes ay mukhang napakabait at nagpapaawa.

    galeeeennnnnggggg!!!!!!

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