I have been a trial lawyer since 1985. Professionally, I'm supposed to be unmoved by the inhuman conditions of our overcrowded and under-funded prisons.
But up to now, I can't stomach staying for long inside a prison. Human heat and foul odor from prisoners and the dead air circulating inside the closed perimeters of the prisons always impact on my sensitive cardio-pulmonary health.
I suffer from COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, e.g., chronic asthma and bronchitis.
The last time I entered our city jail was about 3 yrs ago on the occasion of the JUSTICE ON WHEELS program of the Supreme Court which was held in Las Pinas City in coordination with City Mayor Vergel AGUILAR, City Representative Cynthia VILLAR, and the local Judges Association and the local Bar Association.
I assisted the local Judges Association in welcoming and facilitating the special visit of former Chief Justice REYNATO PUNO, in my capacity as the founder and past chairman/president of the Las Pinas City Bar Assn (LPBA) and as the past vice president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) - Pasay Paranaque Las Pinas Muntinlupa (PPLM) Chapter.
The prisoners of Las Pinas City are fortunate because the city has a fairly new, spacious, well-funded, and well-maintained city jail building, complete w/ a basketball court, a library, and other social amenities. The city also has a fairly new YOUTH CENTER that accommodates children in conflict w/ the law. The center is under the management of the city social workers.
The executive judges of the city, in coordination w/ the Public Attorneys Office (PAO) and the local Bar Associations and pursuant to the mandate of the Rules of Criminal Procedure, hold regular MONTHLY VISITATIONS to the city jail. The goals are to (a) check the conditions of the prisoners, (b) review the records of their pending cases, and (c) expedite the release of detention prisoners who have been detained for a period equivalent to or in excess of the imposable penalties for the crimes for which they were being charged.
Former Executive Judge Joselito VIBANDOR regularly celebrated his birthday inside the city jail, treating the prisoners to a nice lunch, an entertainment/social program, and free legal aid.
I admire his warm and selfless personality as a judge and as a law professor (Arellano Law School).
In the past I celebrated my birthday by distributing lunch, rosaries, and personal toiletries, e.g. toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo, bath soap, and laundry soap, plus juice, biscuits and basic medicine, to the prisoners.
It was an outreach activity of our law office (Laserna Cueva-Mercader Law Offices).
Despite the fairly comfortable condition of our city jail, I know that the current number of its detention prisoners exceeds its physical capacity.
Overcrowding is a chronic problem among the prisons in our country, not to mention the very low per capita budget for food and medicine for prisoners and the lack of sports facilities, libraries, prayer rooms, proper sanitation and water systems, and other basic amenities/facilities -- all of which are required to maintain a humane, safe, clean, comfortable and secured prison that meets the minimum international standards imposed by the United Nations (UN).
- Atty. Manuel J. Laserna Jr.
Las Pinas City, Philippines
