ni Atty. Persida Rueda-Acosta @Magtanong Kay Attorney | September 13, 2024
Dear Chief Acosta,
Nasentensiyahan at nasakdal ang aking babaeng kapatid dahil sa kasong murder. Naiintindihan naman niya na may karampatang hatol ang hukom at kinakailangan niyang makulong. Ganoon pa man, nag-aalala pa rin kami sa kanyang kaligtasan. Dahil dito, may batas ba na nagtatakda ng hiwalay na pasilidad para sa mga tulad niya? Maraming salamat sa inyong magiging tugon. — Tet
Dear Tet,
Binibigyang halaga ng ating gobyerno ang dignidad ng lahat ng tao at ginagarantiya nito ang karapatang pantao ng lahat, kahit ng mga taong nasa kulungan. Kung kaya naman, nakasaad sa Seksyon 5 ng Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11928, na may titulong “An Act Establishing a Separate Facility for Persons Deprived of Liberty Convicted of Heinous Crimes and Appropriating Funds Therefor”, na:
“Section 5. Establishment of Separate Facilities for PDLs Convicted of Heinous Crimes. — There shall be established and maintained a separate, secure, and sanitary penitentiary for the custody and safekeeping of PDLs convicted of heinous crimes serving sentences in the prison facilities of the BuCor.
The separate facility for PDLs convicted of heinous crimes shall be built in a suitable location to be determined by the Secretary of Justice, away from the general population and other PDLs and preferably within a military establishment or on an island separate from the mainland.
The facility shall be located in a secured and isolated place to ensure that there is no unwarranted contact or communication from outside of the penal institution. There shall be at least three (3) separate facilities for high-level offenders, with one (1) facility each in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
Upon the establishment of such facilities, the BuCor shall include in its classification system PDLs convicted of heinous crimes as defined in this Act who shall serve their sentences in such separate facilities.”
Ayon sa nasabing probisyon ng batas, kinakailangan na may maitayo at mapanatili na hiwalay, ligtas, at malinis na kulungan para sa kustodiya at pangangalaga sa mga Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs) na nahatulan para sa isang krimen na makokonsidera na heinous crime. Ang nasabing kulungan ay nararapat na nasa akmang lokasyon na kailangang pagpasyahan ng Secretary of Justice. Ito ay dapat malayo sa publiko at kung maaari ay nasa loob ng isang military establishment, o sa isang hiwalay na isla.
Dagdag dito, kailangan na masiguro na ang nasabing pasilidad ay nasa isang lugar na ligtas at nakahiwalay sa publiko upang maiwasan ang mga hindi inaasahan na komunikasyon sa mga nasa labas ng kulungan. Gayundin, may tatlong magkakahiwalay na pasilidad para sa mga tinatawag na high-level offenders; tig-isang pasilidad sa Luzon, Visayas at Mindanao.
Ayon sa Section 4(a) at (b) ng batas, ang heinous crime at high-level offender ay tumutukoy sa:
“(a) Heinous crimes refer to crimes defined under Republic Act No. 7659, which are considered as heinous for being grievous, odious and hateful offenses and which, by reason of their inherent or manifest wickedness, viciousness, atrocity and perversity are repugnant and outrageous to the common standards and norms of decency and morality in a just, civilized and ordered society. Heinous crimes shall include the following: treason; piracy in general and mutiny on the high seas and in Philippine waters; qualified piracy; qualified bribery; parricide; murder; infanticide; kidnapping and serious illegal detention; robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons; destructive arson; rape; human trafficking; and illegal drugs trafficking;
(b) High-level offender refers to a person convicted of heinous crimes and sentenced to reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment;”
Bilang kasagutan sa iyong nabanggit na katanungan, sa kadahilanan na ang krimen na nagawa ng iyong babaeng kapatid ay maituturing na isang heinous crime, siya ay maaaring madala o mailipat sa nasabing pasilidad. Karagdagan dito, nakasaad sa Seksyon 6 ng nasabing batas na: “x x x Separate vehicles should be used for male and female PDLs convicted of heinous crimes: Provided, That women and minors between fifteen (15) and seventeen (17) years of age shall be transferred and kept in a separate building inside the heinous crime facility”. Sa kadahilanan na ang iyong kapatid ay isang babae, siya ay ilalagay sa iba o nakahiwalay na gusali sa nasabing pasilidad.
Sana ay nabigyan namin ng linaw ang iyong katanungan. Ang payong aming ibinigay ay base lamang sa mga impormasyon na iyong inilahad at maaaring magbago kung mababawasan o madaragdagan ang mga detalye ng iyong salaysay.
Maraming salamat sa iyong patuloy na pagtitiwala.
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