A senior Philippine Church leader has demanded an urgent and independent investigation into what he called serious abuses at the Negros Occidental District Jail (NODJ) in Bago City.
Bishop Gerardo A. Alminaza of San Carlos warned that detainees are facing conditions that violate their basic rights and dignity.
The prelate, who chairs the CBCP–Episcopal Commission on Social Action, Justice and Peace and president of Caritas Philippines, issued the call on Dec. 3 as Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) in Negros and nationwide began a day of fasting to protest jail conditions.
He described the fast as “a witness against injustice, cruelty, and neglect that pierces to heaven and appeals to the conscience of all people.”
The bishop raised alarm over reports from rights groups detailing alleged abuses under the leadership of JSUPT Crisyrel P. Awe.
These include “insufficient food rations and denial of medical care,” “lack of sunlight, exercise, and suspended educational/livelihood programs,” and “confiscation of personal belongings and retaliatory punishments.”
He also cited the “unlawful use of solitary confinement, including the court-ruled illegal isolation of political prisoner Lorenzo ‘Tisoy’ Perolino,” a “reportedly preventable death of PDL Warlito Turbela,” the “prohibition of PDLs from attending Mass and practicing their faith,” and “degrading visual cavity searches of spouses and female visitors.”
“These are not mere administrative complaints,” Bishop Alminaza said. “They are heartfelt cries to respect human dignity.”
He echoed the detainees’ demand for the immediate suspension of the jail warden: “Immediate suspension or removal of Warden Awe to halt the abuse and restore accountability.”
The bishop said he was “deeply alarmed” that his earlier call on August 27 for a full investigation was not acted on, adding that the warden’s reinstatement led to “new reports of retaliatory actions and worsening maltreatment.”
Bishop Alminaza urged the BJMP leadership, the Commission on Human Rights, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and other oversight bodies to conduct “independent, fair, and comprehensive investigations without delay.”
He stressed that detention must never justify inhumane treatment. “Prisons must never become places where cruelty prevails over human dignity or fear dominates over a detainee’s welfare. Detention must safeguard life, nurture hope, and care for the soul.”
The bishop called on civil society, rights advocates, and church communities to accompany detainees and respond to their appeal for dignity and protection.
