📷: Kodao Productions
Human rights group KARAPATAN filed formal complaints before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), urging an immediate and independent investigation into grave and persistent human rights violations against Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs), including political prisoners, at the Negros Occidental District Jail – Male Dormitory (NODJ-MD) under Warden JCINSP (Atty.) Crisyrel P. Awe, DSC.
In their letters to the CHR and BJMP, the groups detailed a pattern of abuse, intimidation, and arbitrary punishment that has reportedly persisted for months and worsened after peaceful protests by detainees in August 2025 against Awe’s authoritarian and punitive leadership style.
Between August 24 and 28, detainees conducted a silent protest and noise barrage to air grievances over Awe’s conduct, which they described as “unbecoming of a public official.” While Awe was initially relieved following the protest, she was later reinstated, after which conditions inside the facility reportedly deteriorated drastically.
According to the complaints, on August 28, jail authorities fired pepper bullets and tear gas at detainees despite the peaceful nature of their protest. In retaliation, dormitories were padlocked for extended periods, educational and livelihood programs were suspended, and volunteer educators, rights monitors, and religious workers were barred from entry. Detainee-led committees for education and rehabilitation were dissolved, depriving PDLs of opportunities for personal development and self-help.
The groups also reported cramped and unsanitary living conditions, restricted access to sunlight, exercise, and communication with families, and verbal abuse and humiliation by jail personnel. Concerns were likewise raised over the lack of transparency and possible misuse of commissary and cooperative funds.
The recent and alarming incident occurred on October 26, when political prisoner Lorenzo Perolino was reportedly blocked and forcibly taken by members of the STAR Team immediately after a visit from human rights workers and a legal counsel. Acting under orders from jail officials, the officers allegedly brought Perolino to a padlocked area without explanation or due process, an act his family and advocates described as retaliatory and intimidating.
Families of PDLs, including political prisoners, yesterday reported that the detained have been locked inside their cells for 24 hours, without prior notice and clear legal justification. Moreover, they have been deprived of their rights to sunlight exposure and access to open area and fresh air, to conjugal rights, and to participation in religious, recreational and alternative learning systems activities.
“These incidents reveal a systematic pattern of repression and inhumane treatment at NODJ-MD,” said KARAPATAN Secretary General Cristina Palabay. “They violate the rights of detainees, including political prisoners, and contravene the Anti-Torture Act of 2009 (RA 9745), the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials (RA 6713), and the BJMP Comprehensive Operations Manual, which upholds humane and rehabilitative jail management.”
The rights groups urged the CHR to conduct a comprehensive, on-site investigation, in coordination with CHR Region VI, and to recommend disciplinary and criminal action against Warden Awe and the officers involved in the October 26 incident. They likewise called on the BJMP to suspend or reassign Warden Awe pending investigation to prevent interference and further retaliation.
They also pressed for the restoration of educational, livelihood, and volunteer programs, and a transparent audit of commissary and cooperative funds to ensure accountability and uphold the welfare of detainees.
“The situation at NODJ-MD demands urgent action to stop abuse and restore humane conditions,” Palabay stressed. “No one should be stripped of their basic rights, dignity, and humanity.” #
