Press Release
October 22, 2018

MESSAGE ON THE CELEBRATION OF THE 31ST PRISON AWARENESS WEEK

I am one with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Prison and Pastoral Care (CBCP-ECPPC) and the rest of our nation in celebrating the Prison Awareness Week.

Our Constitution declares that the "State values the dignity of every person and guarantees full respect for human rights." Anuman ang katayuan sa buhay, anuman ang pinanggalingan at pinaniniwalaan, obligasyon ng bawat isa ang pagrespeto sa karapatang pantao. Sapagkat sa pagbibigay ng respeto tumitingkad din ang ating pagkatao at pagpapakatao. Dito nagbubukal ang pagtanggap at paggalang sa isa't isa na siya namang nagbubunsod ng kaayusan sa ating mga komunidad at mabuting ugnayan ng lahat sa ating lipunan.

In this meaningful occasion, we are called upon to reflect and look at the plight of our brothers and sisters in prison and to raise awareness on how we can participate in their effective rehabilitation and reintegration in society. Together, we need to address the often-repeated challenges of effective correctional system and jail management in pursuing restorative justice for those found guilty of violating our criminal laws.

This is the fundamental principle behind a bill, which I intend to file soon, that will seek to institutionalize prison reform and restorative justice in the Philippine correctional system. At its core, the bill will propose a policy of decongesting and improving our prisons and detention facilities, while introducing an improved system of custody and rehabilitation of the prisoners.

I envisioned the proposed measure to run parallel with Senate Bill No. 1879, which I earlier filed. SB No. 1879 seeks to establish a unified corrections and jail management system under a central authority that will address the current problem of having a fragmented set up of our prisons and jails. Likewise, it seeks to fulfill the need to regionalize the prisons, and to standardize the rules and regulations in running all types of detention facilities.

Malinaw ang ating layunin: Hubugin ang isang bayang hinihikayat ang pagbabagong buhay ng mga bilanggo. Pandayin ang isang sistema ng batas na magtitiyak hindi lamang na ang krimen ay nasusugpo at naiiwasan, ang mga may kasalanan ay napaparusahan, ang mga biktima ay nabibigyang katarungan, kundi ang mga bilanggo ay nananatiling may pag-asa sa buhay at sa kanyang bayan.

Naniniwala ako na ang katarungan, na kakambal ng kaayusan ng lipunan, ay kolektibong tungkulin nating lahat.

I am thus reminded about what the great Russian novelist, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, author of "Crime and Punishment," once said about the value of a humane and effective correctional system:

"The degree of civilization in a society can be judged by entering its prisons."

Let us all do our share in improving our prisons and jails, and the situation of our inmates.

Have a meaningful Prison Awareness Week.

LEILA M. DE LIMA

PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame
22 October 2018

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