PHILIPPINES

The jailing of children brings trauma and abuse

ARGIE was a frightened 13-year-old and his eyes were filled with anxiety and longing when I arrived at the jail in Metro Manila. Others stretched out their arms and begged me to take them out of the hot poorly ventilated jail cell where they are overcrowded and only see daylight when they are taken out to their court hearing.

The jail officials quickly filled out the custody papers transferring Argie to my custody. While waiting for the heavy steel-barred gate to clang open and for him to step out to the cheers and jeers of his cellmates, Argie grabbed my hand through the bars and demanded to know “are there padlocks at Preda, are there padlocks?” His eyes were filled with dread and tears, fearful that he was being transferred from one hellhole to another. But no, I reassured him, it’s a free open home. There are no guards and no gates and all the youth transferred to our custody by the court stay there of their free choice. I told him, “You can study, learn trades, play basketball every day, go to the beach and have group therapy.” This was unbelievable, his face remained blank but I was winning his trust.

I went to another jail where the youth had been given a separate cell, so small it has four shelves up to the ceiling. The minors squat like chickens in a cage. They can’t lie down together. Most mayors have failed to provide a detention home as the law demands.

In Pasay City, a new jail is under construction. In Marikina, the minors’ jail is on the sixth floor of the municipal building far from adult prisoners. It is spacious and airy and the minors have bunk beds. However, we found two very small frightened 12- and 13-year-old boys incarcerated. John-john, 12, was arrested for playing cards on the sidewalk. His family could not afford the bribe to get him off. In another jail, a small frail and bewildered 13-year-old girl was the latest arrival to the women's overcrowded cell. Charged with shoplifting.

Then, as we brought our relief goods, medicines and food to yet another jail, we found another tightly packed prison. This time we had court orders for the release of the two minors. The guard opened the gate of the minors’ cell for us to bring in food and talk to the minors. That was a shock surprise for them. Our social workers told them they would go to Preda. They gaped in disbelief having just seen a TV report on ABC5 about the Preda center the previous evening. The TV in the corridor was the one luxury allowed the prisoners.

The two quickly stuffed all their worldly belongings into little plastic bags and waited for the guard to lead them out. But instead, we were ordered out and the gate slammed shut. Horror registered on their faces. Hopes raised and then dashed cut them to the heart. “No papers, no release,” the guard shouted. Right! We marched back, waited around the office, then got the papers and we took them out into bright sunshine. They were traumatized, silent, skinny, beaten down. A lingering depression was etched on their worried ashen faces. Their arms and legs showed rampant scabies, cockroach and mosquito bites. Later they said they had been raped inside.

It is no surprise then that the US authorities refuse to hand over custody of four US Marines to the Philippine jailers. The four are accused of raping a Filipino woman at Subic Bay last November. They would not last a month inside a Philippine jail. They stay at the US Embassy in Manila.

Former President Joseph Estrada is on trial for plunder but is jailed in some luxury, more like house arrest. Now he wants to be placed in the custody of Cardinal Vidal and the venerable Archbishop has agreed. That is if the court approves. Some have it better than others. The children behind bars are just the throwaway of a society that just doesn’t care.

Shay Cullen
29 January 2006

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2006/jan/29/yehey/opinion/20060129opi3.html

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