Incompetence
Incompetence
Posted 00:01am (Mla time) Mar 16, 2005
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the March 16, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
THE DEATHS of Ghalib Andang, alias "Commander Robot" and Alhamzar Limbong, alias "Kosovo," who were accused of leading several of the Abu Sayyaf's kidnapping operations and the bombing of the Superferry 14 in February 2004, along with 15 others, mean more than just another publicity black eye for the government. Their deaths at the hands of government agents sent in to put an end to a 24-hour failed escape attempt that turned into a prison revolt did not only raise the death toll from the first day's five deaths. Their deaths also mean that they have escaped trial and, more importantly, put any information that they possessed irretrievably beyond the government's reach.
The escape attempt itself speaks volumes of the continuing slapdash nature of the Philippine prison system and those who run it. Department of Justice prosecutors have told the media that prison officials had been tipped off as early as December that a jailbreak was in the offing. The reaction of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology officials was to shrug it off. And the shrugging continued when other things were pointed out, such as the dangers posed by having firearm-bearing guards in close proximity to the Abu Sayyaf prisoners.
Certainly political and public pressure for the government to fire officials will be intense-and justified. The whole episode was like a bad Hollywood movie, the kind that focuses on the spectacular incompetence of prison administrators.
Simply firing people, however, avoids tackling the real problem of our overcrowded, antiquated prison system. From unprofessional managers, to ill-trained prison guards, to inadequate funding, the jail system is simply overwhelmed by the vast number of prisoners being incarcerated in too few and too congested prisons. The result is both an unhealthy and nearly impossible-to-secure overpopulated system.
Human rights activists, for one, have been battling for years against overcrowding in our jails, which puts underage offenders in close proximity to hardened criminals, and which makes it even more difficult to properly isolate dangerous inmates such as captured members of the Abu Sayyaf. The price of poverty becomes even higher when everything, from allowing the use of cell phones, improperly supervised visits, and access to outsiders who can provide luxuries as well as potentially lethal contraband items such as guns, becomes available to inmates for a price or even a smile.
Unless and until the government comes up with a realistic policy with regard to the processing and handling of prisoners, yesterday's bloody end to a jailbreak will just be one more incident in a continuing series of similar -- and more successful -- attempts. The BJMP must contend with too many competing authorities (the police and military have their own prisons), an overwhelmed justice system (which crowds the jails with people vainly awaiting speedy trials), and a lack of facilities to properly contain especially dangerous prisoners.
We must add to this the continuing bad habit of our officials of trying to deflect attention from the scandal of the hour by pointing to perceived larger threats. Amid the standoff following the botched Abu Sayyaf escape attempt, unnamed "anti-terror officials" speculated that the whole matter might have been staged to deflect attention from plans by Jemaah Islamiyah to launch attacks during the Holy Week. This may or may not be so, but announcing it to the press at the time the standoff remained unresolved only served to deflect attention from the hard questions already being asked of the police and the BJMP.
The fact is that the Abu Sayyaf won yet another round against the government. Its captured members died with guns blazing, drawing the world's attention to their cause and their refusal to let their detention circumscribe their actions. The whole sorry episode suggests that its members can still effectively function right under the noses of government authorities. And this can only gladden the hearts of their allies in the field.
Posted 00:01am (Mla time) Mar 16, 2005
Inquirer News Service
Editor's Note: Published on page A14 of the March 16, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
THE DEATHS of Ghalib Andang, alias "Commander Robot" and Alhamzar Limbong, alias "Kosovo," who were accused of leading several of the Abu Sayyaf's kidnapping operations and the bombing of the Superferry 14 in February 2004, along with 15 others, mean more than just another publicity black eye for the government. Their deaths at the hands of government agents sent in to put an end to a 24-hour failed escape attempt that turned into a prison revolt did not only raise the death toll from the first day's five deaths. Their deaths also mean that they have escaped trial and, more importantly, put any information that they possessed irretrievably beyond the government's reach.
The escape attempt itself speaks volumes of the continuing slapdash nature of the Philippine prison system and those who run it. Department of Justice prosecutors have told the media that prison officials had been tipped off as early as December that a jailbreak was in the offing. The reaction of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology officials was to shrug it off. And the shrugging continued when other things were pointed out, such as the dangers posed by having firearm-bearing guards in close proximity to the Abu Sayyaf prisoners.
Certainly political and public pressure for the government to fire officials will be intense-and justified. The whole episode was like a bad Hollywood movie, the kind that focuses on the spectacular incompetence of prison administrators.
Simply firing people, however, avoids tackling the real problem of our overcrowded, antiquated prison system. From unprofessional managers, to ill-trained prison guards, to inadequate funding, the jail system is simply overwhelmed by the vast number of prisoners being incarcerated in too few and too congested prisons. The result is both an unhealthy and nearly impossible-to-secure overpopulated system.
Human rights activists, for one, have been battling for years against overcrowding in our jails, which puts underage offenders in close proximity to hardened criminals, and which makes it even more difficult to properly isolate dangerous inmates such as captured members of the Abu Sayyaf. The price of poverty becomes even higher when everything, from allowing the use of cell phones, improperly supervised visits, and access to outsiders who can provide luxuries as well as potentially lethal contraband items such as guns, becomes available to inmates for a price or even a smile.
Unless and until the government comes up with a realistic policy with regard to the processing and handling of prisoners, yesterday's bloody end to a jailbreak will just be one more incident in a continuing series of similar -- and more successful -- attempts. The BJMP must contend with too many competing authorities (the police and military have their own prisons), an overwhelmed justice system (which crowds the jails with people vainly awaiting speedy trials), and a lack of facilities to properly contain especially dangerous prisoners.
We must add to this the continuing bad habit of our officials of trying to deflect attention from the scandal of the hour by pointing to perceived larger threats. Amid the standoff following the botched Abu Sayyaf escape attempt, unnamed "anti-terror officials" speculated that the whole matter might have been staged to deflect attention from plans by Jemaah Islamiyah to launch attacks during the Holy Week. This may or may not be so, but announcing it to the press at the time the standoff remained unresolved only served to deflect attention from the hard questions already being asked of the police and the BJMP.
The fact is that the Abu Sayyaf won yet another round against the government. Its captured members died with guns blazing, drawing the world's attention to their cause and their refusal to let their detention circumscribe their actions. The whole sorry episode suggests that its members can still effectively function right under the noses of government authorities. And this can only gladden the hearts of their allies in the field.
posted by Dante at 3:25 PM
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