BY GLENDA TAYONA AND RUBY SILUBRICO
ILOILO City – They may be inside jails but their hearts are out, seeking a better and brighter place for their loved ones to live in.
The 2022 elections bring hope to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) like Jane and Rachel of this southern city.
Their ultimate hope: the chance to be reintegrated to society and have a better life ahead.
The two were among the 4,173 registered PDLs across Western Visayas who would be casting their votes come the May 2022 elections.
“Siyempre may handom gid ‘ko. Tanan kita may handom ilabi na gid kami nga mga priso. Ang makagwa kami diri amo ‘na isa sa mga handom namon,” said Rachel, 26.
For the first time, Rachel will cast her vote in a jail facility. She was previously registered in Mambusao, Capiz.
Nevertheless, she is thankful for the chance to exercise her right to suffrage.
“Thankful gid ‘ko because wala kami gin-deprive sa right namon nga makaboto. Siyempre sa help sang (Bureau of Jail Management and Penology) personnel nagaan kami chance nga maka-register,” said Rachel.
Meanwhile, Jane took the opportunity to register with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) so she would not have a problem with the voter’s registration documents the time she would be freed.
“Bisan ari lang kami kumbaga ang amon karapatan nga mag boto ginhatag gyapon para maboto man namon ang tawo nga insakto,” said Jane.
Rachel and Jane wished that those who will be elected are good and competent leaders and will look after the less privileged sectors like them.
“Para sa akon importante nga makaboto kami, bisan paano may mabulig ka sa community sa pagpili sang insakto nga botohon,” said Jane.
She hopes that the future leaders would give importance not only to those outside but also to people behind bars.
Rachel, meantime, said she will choose leaders who she thinks have the genuine intention to help and listen to the plight of the people, especially the marginalized ones.
Both single moms, Jane and Rachel were incarcerated for supposed violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
They also are hoping for justice for the innocent who were put behind bars.
“Amo man ‘na guro isa sa mga rason nga gusto namon focusan sang mga lider – justice – kay indi man tanan nga ari di sa sulod pareho sang panan-awan sang iban, may sala,” said Jane.
Should they reunite with their respective families again, Jane and Rachel vowed to live a better life and fill-in the time they missed.
“Gusto ko tagaan time ang akon kabataan kag akon kahinablosan nga matudloan sang tadlong nga alagyan – indi magsunod sang mga bulohaton nga indi dapat,” said Jane.
Rachel agreed, adding she will teach her only child all the good things she learned in detention.
“Bisan ari lang kami di sa sulod sang jail damo man kami natun-an nga makabulig gid sa pagwa namon,” she said.
Data from BJMP-6 showed a total of 4,173 PDLs have registered as of Oct. 30, 2021.
BJMP spokesperson, Jairus Anthony Dogelio said Negros Occidental has the highest PDL registered voters at 2,550 followed by Iloilo with 1, 248 (including Iloilo City with 728), Capiz – 242, Antique – 62, Aklan – 47 and Guimaras – 24.
As of this writing, Dogelio said they were just waiting for the Comelec Resolution and guidance from the central office on the conduct of voting in special polling precincts like in jail facilities.
Dogelio said necessary measures will be put in place for the safety of everyone.
Western Visayas has a jail population of 8,283.
Dogelio noted a big fraction of inmates waiting for their sentences. He said the pandemic delayed them further due to several court lockdowns.
Though there are hearings done online, some jails are struggling due to poor internet connection and/or signal.
“Indi madali-dali. It takes years gid – kon hinay sang una, subong medyo naga-prolong pa gid because sang mga courts nga nagaka lockdown for weeks so damu gid delay,” Dogelio explained.
Meanwhile, Dogelio is encouraging PDLs from other provinces or cities to transfer their votes to the place where they are currently detained so they can cast their votes in special polling places.
But some of them refused to transfer their votes while others have hopes that they can go out before the election and exercise their right to vote in their respective hometowns.
If the place of the PDLs is just near, Dogelio said they do escorted voting. However, the challenge would be the manpower — if they have enough personnel to do the escorting.
Under the escorted voting, jail personnel will escort the PDL to the polling precinct where he or she is registered.
“In the past may ara kita jails nga naga-conduct sang escorted voting – basta malapit man lang sa area, for example within the city or within the barangay,” said Dogelio.
PRISON VOTES COUNT
For rights group Panay Alliance Karapatan secretary general Reylan Vergara, the votes of the PDLs matter.
“Madamo mga PDLs naton so daku ‘ni nga bagay nga kabahin sila sa pagpili sang ila naluyagan nga kandidato kag tugyanan sang ila poder bilang pumuluyo man,” said Vergara.
He said it has been their advocacy to support the right of the PDLs to vote.
“Pabor gid ang karapatan nga pabotohon ang mga PDLs bilang kabahin sag ila pag exercise sang ila kinamatarung nga magboto. Dapat gani mas pasangkaron pa sang Comelec ang ila registration sa mga PDLs para madamo ang makaboto, tungod bisan PDL sila, wala man sang layi nga nagahambal nga kanselado na ang ila kinamatarung sa pagboto,” Vergara added.
Meantime, the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Region 6 director, Atty. Jonnie Dabuco said it has been part of their advocacy that PDLs not yet convicted with finality should be allowed to vote.
He stressed that voting is the basic right of Filipinos.
The Omnibus Election Code bars from voting those sentenced with “final judgment” to be imprisoned for not less than a year, those who lost or renounced their citizenship, those found to be insane or incompetent as declared by competent authority.
SAFE VOTING IN JAILS
Comelec-6 director, Atty. Wilfred Jay Balisado, on the other hand, said inclusivity is part of Comelec’s program; all sectors like PDLs, internally-displaced people (IDPs), and Indigenous People (IPs) are encouraged to vote.
In fact, Comelec has separate polling precincts for them.
“Sa Comelec, nakita na some people decide not to vote simply because parang naiilang silang makihalo…Gumawa tayo ng special registration and we encourage that on Election Day. They are very much welcome to exercise their right to vote,” said Balisado.
He noted that the Comelec will also manage the conduct of election, with electoral boards to serve inside jail facilities ensuring the safety protocols against COVID-19 are put in place.
“Safest places ang mga facilities natin. This has been done before. We don’t see any problem because we have been doing this since 2016 or earlier,” the regional director added./PN
(This story is supported by a grant from the Philippine Press Institute.)
