Spokesperson of human rights group banned from BuCor's prison facilities
The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) has banned Kapatid Spokesperson Fides Lim from all its prison facilities nationwide for “repeated procedural violations and unruly behavior.”
In a statement issued on Monday, July 14, BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said: “There are procedures to follow when visiting PDLs (persons deprived of liberty), and we treat everyone the same. No special treatment, all are equal.”
Kapatid is a support organization of families and friends of political prisoners and works for their release and protection of their rights and welfare.
Catapang issued the statement after learning that Lim wrote a letter to Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla who was asked to investigate her alleged baseless banning from prison facilities.
He also said that Lim cited in her letter that a poster with her picture was placed in front of the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City.
Catapang explained that Lim had demonstrated a pattern of disregard for established security measures in prison facilities, and impatience with procedural verification, and confrontational conduct toward persons in authority.
He cited that during her visit to the New Bilibid Prison (NBP on Feb. 25, 2024, Lim “was arrogant towards persons in authority when she refused to observe queuing procedures and meddling with visitors to get ahead from the others who came before her, refused to follow protocol on bringing in of medicines and disregarded parking rules and regulations inside the prison camps.”
Also, Catapang said that when Lim returned to the NBP on March 24, 2024, she was very arrogant and refused to be frisked, and threatened to sue all personnel if they insisted on frisking her.
Lim disregarded security protocol last April 7, 2024 at the NBP when she initiated a PDL interview, which was not part of her approved request for food donation and distribution, he also said.
At the same time, Catapang said that Lim violated the “paabot” (hand over) procedure in aggressively insisting on entering the camps without approval, and also did not undergo body frisking.
On her return to the NBP on Oct. 19, 2024, he also said that Lim disregarded the established security procedures, became impatient with procedural verifications, and angrily confronted corrections officers, including high ranking officials.
“We have to maintain order and adhere to security protocols within the correctional system to ensure a safe environment for both staff and PDLs,” Catapang declared.