THE life expectancy of Filipino males at birth is currently estimated at 67.17 years while for females, it is slightly up at 71.7. But if for some unlucky stroke of fate you are a Filipino male who has been convicted of a crime and confined at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, then your life expectancy might be reduced by 5 years if you are rich, and even much longer if you are poor.
This reality might be attributed in part to the lack of nutritious food (P70 food allowance per day) and medicines (P5 medical allowance per day). A more serious problem is the culture of hierarchy and impunity, crime and punishment inside the prison, gangsterism, trade in contraband, and other similar circumstances that make life in prison very much different from life outside. If one could navigate and survive this in-prison society during his full term of say, 30 to 40 years, he would be considered as successful and lucky indeed.
Top forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun revealed that at least 16 inmates of the NBP died every month from January to October 2022. This figure was based on the 176 unclaimed cadavers of prison inmates held at the Eastern Funeral Services, the only funeral home accredited by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).
Fortun also found certain discrepancies in the death certificates of these inmates. She noted that in 40 cases, causes of deaths were listed as “dead on arrival,” “undetermined,” or “for autopsy.” The last one was the same cause filed in the death certificate of Jun Villamor, the alleged middleman in the killing of radio broadcaster Percy Lapid.
Deaths in the Muntinlupa facility were again in the news with the recent discovery of a mass grave at the maximum security compound of Bilibid. Senators are interested in investigating this latest anomalous incident in the NBP, and so Sen. Francis Tolentino, chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, proposed in Resolution No. 709 that such a probe should be conducted.
‘While Senator Tolentino’s committee might be interested in tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, stroke, ulcer and COVID-19 as the causes of deaths of inmates, physical violence and crime are the most likely focus of the Senate investigation tomorrow…’
The proposed investigation followed the discovery of a mass grave at the NBP while authorities were searching for missing inmate Michael Angelo Cataroja. Cataroja was sentenced to 12 to 20 years for violating the anti-fencing law. He has been reported missing since July 15 this year. Human body parts were eventually found inside a septic tank at the NBP’s maximum security compound.
Cataroja’s death might be related to the July 26 gang fight at the Bilibid that left one inmate dead and several others injured. Senate Resolution No. 709 cited records from the Bureau of Corrections showing 673 deaths — eight of which were caused by asphyxia, one by gunshot wounds, six by stab wounds, and three by traumatic head injuries — at the NBP as of December 2022.
While Senator Tolentino’s committee might be interested in tuberculosis, diabetes mellitus, malnutrition, stroke, ulcer and COVID-19 as the causes of deaths of inmates, physical violence and crime are the most likely focus of the Senate investigation tomorrow, August 8, at the NBP Ceremonial Hall which will be covered by a horde of tri-media newsmen.
Tolentino shares the query of his Senate colleagues who wonder how contraband like guns, ice picks, and other weapons find their way inside the New Bilibid Prison and why the bodies of several PDLs (persons deprived of liberty) were found inside the septic tank without BuCor personnel knowing about it, until recently.
