Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1762412537098cropped-20251106061152_fa5268fd29a9e4d93ab527615767a3a3fd0cd5d9849eba867f5c66cad3278367.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Groups stage a protest in front of the BJMP National Headquarters to call for a probe into supposed “persistent human rights violations” against PDLs at the Negros Occidental District Jail. ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — Human rights advocates and former political prisoners took to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) national headquarters in Quezon City to protest against alleged &quot;grave and persistent&quot; human rights violations committed at the Negros Occidental District Jail-Male Dormitory (NODJ-MD), and ask for an independent investigation into the matter.</p><p>KARAPATAN, one of the groups at the protest action, wrote to BJMP chief Jail Dir. Ruel Rivera and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to ask for an “immediate fact-finding and administrative investigation” to specifically look into the actions of NODJ-MD Warden JCINSP Crisyrel Awe and other personnel responsible for supposed “serious acts of misconduct, abuse of authority, and neglect of duty.”</p><p>“Ayon po sa natanggap naming reports, pina-padlock po nang walang rasong ng mga tauhan ng NODJ ang mga bilanggo doon. At dine-deprive po sila ng kanilang basic rights sa pagkain, sa dalaw,” KARAPATAN Deputy Secretary General Maria Sol Taule said.</p><p>“Ang panawagan po natin i-lift lahat ng restrictions sa NODJ at siyempre, palayain lahat ng bilanggong politikal sa Pilipinas dahil hindi ho sila kriminal. Ang kriminal, nandoon, sa ICI. Hindi pa nakukulong,” Taule added.</p><p>According to Taule, they are willing to discuss the matter with the BJMP, but they have yet to receive a response to their letter dated October 29.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>ACCUSATIONS</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The Human Rights Action Network (HRAN) in Negros also called for the removal of Awe, who, according to a statement by the group, was briefly relieved in August after a noise barrage by 600 persons deprived of liberty (PDL) but was reinstated in September.</p><p>In the statement read during the protest, Awe was accused of “repressive policies” such as month-long punishment for detainees inside dormitories, “depriving them of their right to sunlight, exercise, and visits from family and friends,” corruption in the jail commissary, denial of medical attention for sick PDLs, and “inhumane body searches and body cavity inspections of woman visitors,” among others.</p><p>“The families of PDLs will not relent in our advocacy for a humane, rights-based, and rehabilitative prison system,” the statement reads.</p><p>Also among the groups who were at the protest was the Samahan ng Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA).</p><p>ABS-CBN News is reaching out to BJMP for comment.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A5NLSaIVhoY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1gLO2aUFBDY?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Human rights advocates and former political prisoners took to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Quezon City to protest against alleged "grave and persistent" human rights violations committed at the Negros Occidental District Jail - Male Dormitory.</p>

Human rights advocates and former political prisoners took to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Quezon City to protest against alleged "grave and persistent" human rights violations committed at the Negros Occidental District Jail - Male Dormitory.

Advocates call for probe into alleged human rights violations at Negros Occidental jail

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Advocates call for probe into alleged human rights violations at Negros Occidental jail

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 06, 2025 03:08 PM PHT

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Negros Occidental District Jail

BJMP

KARAPATAN

SELDA

PDLs

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