The Commission on Human Rights Region 6 (CHR-6) requested the government to include Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDL) in the vaccination program.
CHR-6 Regional Director Attorney Jonnie Dabuco said that he was not asking for first priority for PDL’s, but only that the government should not forget to provide help. Dabuco explained that PDLs needed vaccines since they were also part of the vulnerable sector and that reports showed detention facilities as one of the sources of infections.
Dabuco added that PDLs should not also be deprived of their rights. Records from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) showed 8,045 PDLs in 28 jails and five isolation facilities in Region 6.
The BJMP recorded 212 total confirmed COVID-19 cases among PDLs, with 25 classified still active, 184 recovered, and three deaths./PN
