SORIA, KENT EMMANUEL C.

THEOLOGY 141-N

A Reflection on the Status of Prison in the Philippines

It is estimated that about 140 for every 100,000 Filipinos are currently under detention. The

Philippines has a population of about 102 million, giving the total number of prisoners at about

142,000. In the Philippines, the most common crimes are theft, assault, robbery and carjacking

according to the Philippine National Police.

Common challenges experienced in the Philippines are the massive overcrowding of prison cells.

For example, the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology all handled 35000 inmates in 2001

only to rise to nearly 115,000 in 2010. These over congestions must be solved especially since

they can constitute what is called ‘cruel and inhumane punishments’. In congestions, diseases can

easily be passed to the next jailmate. Tensions can also rise because of the cramped spaces these

prisoners have to experience.

The prisoners all have a right towards being reformed and corrected, but the inhumane

conditions of the prisons diminish his right. When there is mass congestion, other necessities of

life such as clean water, toilets and enough meals are also put at risk. This is a dehumanizing

element that must be avoided in order to ensure the proper ‘reform’ of people denied with

freedom.

In my personal stance, I am pro for death penalty. But this is not for drug addicts, but merely for

people who are convicted of mass abuse and murder against their fellowmen, as well as for

politicians who still loads of money from the people.

References:

 https://www.preda.org/media/research-documents/the-condition-of-philippine-

prisons-and-jails/

 https://www.prison-insider.com/countryprofile/prisonsinphilippines

 https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=23672