Philippines
Seen in the press
Read our selection of press review about this country.
Philippines: Supreme Court must "get real" about prison conditions
In a rebuke of the Supreme Court’s decision on prisoners’ plea for release during the pandemic, experts said the High Court must “get real” and see prison conditions in the Philippines for what it is – dire, and in need of judicial intervention. “We should persevere in challenging our Supreme Cour…Source — Rappler
Philippines: more than 5,000 inmates die at this prison every year
One in five detainees at the Philippines’ national penitentiary die every year, officials at the prison hospital have revealed.Source — CNN
Philippines: 5,000 prisoners at NBP die yearly
At least 5,000 prisoners at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City die every year, said an official from the Bureau of Corrections.Source — Tempo
Philippines: Lacson wants steps to tackle corruption in Bilibid prison
Senator Panfilo Lacson wants laws to address corruption and dismantle syndicates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) as he lamented that high-profile inmates, not government officials, were running the penitentiary. The senator cited reports that some prisoners have become “more powerful” than Bureau o…
Philippines: ombudsman to investigate prison officials
The Office of the Ombudsman has created a team to investigate officials of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to determine their liability in the release of thousands of prisoners.Source — Manila Times
Philippines: Duterte fires Philippines prison chief
The president fired the government’s top prison official amid outcry over a mass prisoner release.Source — The Diplomat
Philippines: 'Worse than prison': Abuses in Philippine youth homes
Officially called “Houses of Hope”, proponents in the Philippines say such facilities are places for reformation and education, but critics slam many of them as “hellholes” where children are treated like caged animals.Source — Le Point
Philippines: where 518 inmates sleep in space for 170, and gangs hold it together
For some inmates of the Manila City Jail, making the bed means mopping up sludgy puddles, unfolding a square of cardboard on the tile floor and lying down to sleep in a small, windowless bathroom, wedged in among six men and a toilet. On one recent night at the jail, in Dorm 5, the air was thick an…Source — NY Times
Philippines : un mort lors d'une émeute dans une prison surpeuplée
This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the French version.Source — Le Point
Philippines: Three killed, one injured in prison breakout in restive Jolo
AUTHORITIES in the Philippines said three inmates were killed on Sunday and another was wounded following a prison escape in Jolo, a southern Island notoriously known as a stronghold of Abu Sayyaf militants. According to the South China Morning Post (via the AFP) the dead and wounded were among 14…Source — Le Point
Jails, justice system at breaking point as Philippine drugs war intensifies
In a teeming prison for undertrials in the Philippines’ capital Manila, Rody Lacanilao, an inmate for 18 months, says he prays for clear weather at night.Source — Reuters
Philippines bill proposes jail time for unenthusiastic anthem singers
(CNN)Philippines citizens may need to start exercising their vocal chords. The country’s House of Representatives has approved a bill requiring members of the public to sing the country’s national anthem, Lupang Hinirang, “with fervor” whenever it is played publicly.Source — CNN
Philippines: CoA report shows 511% increase in inmates amid drug war
This is a 511% increase in congestion that way exceeds the said ideal cell capacity of 20,746. According to the CoA’s annual report on the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) released on June 15, the total number of inmates was up by 30,544 as of Dec. 31, 2016 from the year before.Source — Business World Online
Philippines: cholera being investigated as cause of prison outbreak
The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City is where the Philippines most dangerous criminals are incarcerated has been hit with a suspected foodborne illness outbreak that started on May 26 and where more than 1,200 inmates have become ill.Source — Outbreak News Today
Philippines : face à la menace terroriste, Rodrigo Duterte impose la loi martiale
This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the French version.Source — Courrier International
Philippines: no resurrection of death penalty at the Senate
The bill seeking to revive the death penalty is already “dead in the Senate.”Source — ABS CBN
UNODC to send drug policy advisor to work with Philippine gov't
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC, announced on Monday (17/04) that it will soon post a dedicated drug policy adviser to work with the Philippine government to enact alternative approaches in combating rising narcotics use in the country.Source — Jakarta Globe
Philippines edges closer to death penalty return for serious drug offences
Philippine lower house lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the re-imposition of capital punishment for serious drug offences on Tuesday, clearing another hurdle in President Rodrigo Duterte’s drive to use death as a deterrent against crime.Source — Reuters
Naked prisoners in Philippine jail cause uproar
Photos showing hundreds of prisoners in a Philippine jail sitting naked while being searched for contraband have triggered accusations of further rights abuses in President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs.Source — Today
Thirteen escape in prison break near Manila
At least 13 ‘high-value’ detainees facing drug charges stormed out of Philippine jail by cutting through metal grilles.Source — Aljazeera
Philippine bid to jail nine-year-olds is 'a great child violation', Unicef says
Duterte’s allies have been pushing to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to nine.Source — The Guardian
Guerre antidrogue aux Philippines : possible crime contre l'humanité
This article is not available in English. If you wish, you can consult the French version.Source — Courrier international
More than 150 inmates escape in Philippine prison break
More than 150 inmates have escaped from a south Philippines prison after gunmen launched an attack. The authorities suspect the gunmen are linked to Islamist separatist groups. Around 100 armed men stormed the jail and engaged in a shoot-out with guards, as prisoners fled in the chaos. A guard and…Source — BBC
Philippines : Prisons and rehab overcrowding
As death toll rises, Philippine prisons and drug rehab centres fill to capacity as many try to avoid the same fate.Source — Aljazeera