Groups condemn BJMP memo targeting alleged CPP-NPA PDLs

MANILA, Philippines — Several groups have condemned the memorandum issued by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, which orders the "close monitoring" of suspected communist insurgents in prisons.

In separate statements, the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) and prisoner's rights group Kapatid urged the bureau to overturn its directive, calling the information concerning alleged communist insurgency membership of some deprived of liberty (PDLs) “unverified.”

"Kapatid asks BJMP chief Gen. Ruel Rivera to retract this dangerous memo, which not only puts the lives and security of political prisoners at greater risk but also sets a dangerous precedent for using baseless, politically motivated accusations as grounds for official action. The BJMP must focus on its core mandate of upholding the rights and safety of all detainees, not serve as a tool for political persecution,” Kapatid’s statement read.

Meanwhile, the NUPL said that the act of BJMP is considered to be a form of McCarthyism that targets individuals “based solely on suspicion, ideological profiling and unverified allegations.”

It said the memo violates international and domestic human rights laws. 

“They undermine the presumption of innocence enshrined in the Constitution (Article III, Section 14) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) by imposing punitive measures without trial. They also violate the right to privacy and human dignity, as affirmed in the ICCPR (Article 17), by subjecting detainees to invasive surveillance and severely restricting essential correspondence and visitor interactions,” the NUPL’s statement read. 

“Moreover, obstructing access to legal representation, a right guaranteed under the Constitution (Article III, Section 12), further compromises detainees’ right to fair trial. The psychological toll inflicted by isolation and heightened monitoring amounts to cruel and degrading treatment,” it added. 

The BJMP memorandum was shared by the NUPL on Sunday, January 10. It stemmed from a now-deleted Facebook post by retired General Antonio Parlade, who accused Rep. France Castro (ACT-Teachers) of visiting jail facilities to solicit funds from drug traffickers for her party-list group.

The BJMP memorandum also said that Castro solicited funds with the help of PDLs who are allegedly members of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

"It is both ludicrous and deeply concerning that a government agency tasked with overseeing jail management would consider an unverified Facebook post from an unreformed red-tagger as a sufficient basis for policy. The post, made by a retired military general and former NTF-ELCAC spokesperson, accuses Rep. France Castro of the ACT Party-List of ‘frequenting jail facilities to solicit funds from drug traffickers for the said party-list group through the efforts of detained suspected members of the CPP,'” NUPL’s statement read.

In response, Castro called the memorandum was a “dangerous and malicious act of red-tagging” by the BJMP.

“They are using an unverified social media post from a discredited source to justify surveillance and monitoring of a sitting member of Congress and political prisoners,” Castro said in a statement.

“This memorandum demonstrates how red-tagging endangers lives and violates human rights. The BJMP must be held accountable for this irresponsible action that puts my safety and that of political prisoners at risk,” she added.

Philstar.com has reached out to the BJMP for a comment on the groups' statements and to confirm the existence of the memorandum, but has yet to receive a response.