Living in Hell – Political Prisoner confined in Dormitory 11-A
Eduardo O. Sarmiento
n National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)
Peace Consultant representing Eastern Visayas
n Political Prisoner confined in Dormitory 11-A
Maximum Security Compound
New Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa
Philippines
8 June 2014
The late Filipino senator Jose W. Diokno, a staunch patriot and human rights defender, once described his experience as a political detainee during martial law:
“detention is more than stone walls,
Barbed wires and iron bars;
guard towers and armed guards;
Jailer and jailed;
And seemingly senseless rules and regulations.
Detention is boredom and loneliness;
Loss of privacy and regimentation;
Frustration and impotence;
Periods of hope followed by hopelessness,
Like stormy waves that can drown a man!”
The late senator was more fortunate because he was spared a long imprisonment and was not convicted of any crime. The convicted political prisoners now serving their sentences in New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Maximum Security Compound are less fortunate.
At present there are 35 political prisoners here in NBP Maximum Security Compound. They are part of more than 500 political prisoners jailed in different parts of the Philippines. Although the present government keeps on denying the existence of political prisoners, the truth is their numbers are rising as a result of the ongoing civil war throughout the land. Political Prisoners are those imprisoned for acting according to their political belief—mostly they come from the ranks of militant political activists, members or suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA), Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and Moro rebel groups. But here in the NBP Maximum Security Compound all supposedly political prisoners were charged and convicted of heinous common crimes and almost all are serving “reclusion perpetua” or life imprisonment sentence. The criminal charges slapped against them are fabricated and are designed to cover up political persecution so that they (“the enemies of the state” ) will rot in jail.
Life in the NBP Maximum Security Compound is like living in hell specially for the political prisoners who are not criminals but well-meaning people whose only “fault” was to resist class oppressionand exploitation and to fight for real reforms in government. Political prisoners are treated like common criminals. They suffer degrading treatment and inhuman prison conditions such as arbitrary and discriminatory regulations such as curtailment of visiting rights, insufficient food rations, lack of medical services. The dormitories they live in are overcrowded and have poor ventilation. They are harassed by corrupt prison guards, who punish them and put them in isolation for no reason.
The political prisoners are housed in the NBP Maximum Security Compound (NBP-MSC) where there are more than 14 Thousand (14,000) convicted prisoners—most of them hardened criminals. Daily they are exposed to the decadent culture of gangsterism and the dangers of gang wars.
The political prisoners in NBP-MSC survive in this hellish condition by overcoming boredom, frustration and hopelessness while waiting and striving for freedom. Most of them have been prisoners here for more than 10 years and some are nearing 20 years. Many are elderly and ill – 7 political prisoners have died here. It is so sad that they died without tasting the sweet air of freedom.
The best way the political prisoners here in NBP-MSC fight for survival is by organizing themselves. They consolidate their organization –ideologically and politically. This way they can withstand the cruelties of prison. Their efforts are geared towards raising their ideological and political consciousness, building unity and camaraderie. They constantly raise the level of their capacity to protect themselves and fight for their rights.
In the ideological field, there is a sustained program of revolutionary education and propaganda work. The political prisoners conduct regular assessment of work and have criticism and self-criticism sessions; they sum up their experiences.
The political work is not limited to the ranks of political prisoners in the NBP-MSC; they reach out to other non-political inmates — their mass base. They conduct political struggle against the authorities of the New Bilibid Prison Maximum Security Compound and demand better living conditions. They have protest actions (like noise barrage and fasting/ hunger strikes) in coordination with the mass protest activities conducted nationwide by the militant peoples’ organizations. Here in the NBP-MSC we political prisoners also have alliance work to win friends and allies in support of our struggle.
Our organization of political prisoners builds a strong center of leadership, which has the solid support of the members.
Our supporters and friends outside the prison are very important to us—they help us to survive. In the Philippines, the human rights organization –KARAPATAN and the organization of ex-political detainees –SELDA are a big help in our legal struggles for prison reforms; there are education programs, and livelihood projects so prisoners can earn a little money. The lawyers’ group – National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) provide us with legal assistance. Aside from KARAPATAN and SELDA, there is HUSTISYA, the organization of families and relatives of victims of extra-judicial killings – they together with BAYAN (New Patriotic Alliance) are spearheading a campaign to free all Political Prisoners through a general, unconditional and omnibus amnesty.
Also very important are our friends and supporters from other countries. We are very grateful for their moral and material support!