PURGATORYO (Howie Severino Documentary)
Episode on June 27, 2011
Monday after Saksi!
PURGATORYO (Howie Severino Documentary)
The 1987 Constitution mandates that a criminal case must be decided within 90 days, but 54-year-old Matias Domequil has been in Manila City Jail for nine years waiting for his verdict. He is still innocent until proven guilty.
A former businessman, Matias has been abandoned by his family and lawyer since he was incarcerated. All of his properties have already been seized by the state. Yet his judge has not yet decided on his case for a variety of reasons.
He is one of thousands of inmates across the country in a twilight zone of uncertainty about their fate, victims of a slow and inefficient judicial system that can take years to hear even simple cases of theft.
Meanwhile, suspects who cannot afford bail are trapped inside overcrowded prisons, mixed with hardened tattooed gang members.
Accused of illegal recruitment, Matias is growing old inside the decrepit Manila City Jail, a facility near Quiapo meant for barely 2000, now attempting to shelter nearly 4000.
Howie Severino and his documentary team follow Matias and two other long-time jail inmates as they navigate through this earthly purgatory, attending court hearings and surviving a captive society of sad and lonely men. All of them have vainly hoped for a speedy end to their ordeal.
With less than one in five cases ending in convictions, many inmates will eventually be declared innocent, but only after years in jail.
The documentary also features stark and compelling black-and-white photographs by award-winning documentary photographer Rick Rocamora of life inside these congested and sordid halfway houses.
On Monday night, June 27, enter Purgatoryo with Howie Severino.
Nakatala sa ating konstitusyon na ang isang kaso ay dapat nabibigyan ng hatol sa loob ng tatlong buwan o siyamnapung araw. Pero para sa 54 taong gulang na si Matias Domequil, siyam na taon na siyang naghihintay ng hatol sa loob ng Manila City Jail. Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa mapagdesisyunan ng korte kung siya nga ba ay may sala sa kasong illegal recruitment.
Isang dating negosyante, nagkawatak-watak na ang kaniyang pamliya mula nang siya’y mapasok sa kulungan. Lahat ng kaniyang ari-arian mula lupa hanggang kotse, nakuha na ng gobyerno. Ngunit hindi pa rin tiyak kung siya nga ba ay may sala.
Si Matias ay isa lamang sa libo-libong mga inmate sa ating bansa na nasa mundo na tila isang purgatoryo, isang mundo na walang katiyakan. Sa bagal ng sistema ng hustisya sa ating bansa, taon ang binibilang bago nila malaman ang kanilang kahihinatnan: kung sila nga ba ay mapapalaya, o tuluyan nang mabibilanggo.
Samantala, marami naman ang hindi kayang mabayaran ang kanilang piyansa kaya lalong sumisikip at dumadami ang nagtitiis sa loob ng mga kulungan.
Tumatanda na si Matias sa loob ng Manila City Jail, isang pasilidad na dapat lamang ay para sa 2,000 katao, ngunit ngayon ay tirahan ng 4,000 detainee.
Kabilang din sa dokumentaryo ang mga imahe mula sa batikang documentary photographer na si Rick Rocamora. Sa kaniyang mga imahe makikita ang kaawa-awang sitwasyon sa loob ng mga kulungan.
Sa Lunes ng gabi, June 27, samahan si Howie Severino pasukin ang Purgatoryo.
Monday after Saksi!
The 1987 Constitution mandates that a criminal case must be decided within 90 days, but 54-year-old Matias Domequil has been in Manila City Jail for nine years waiting for his verdict. He is still innocent until proven guilty.
A former businessman, Matias has been abandoned by his family and lawyer since he was incarcerated. All of his properties have already been seized by the state. Yet his judge has not yet decided on his case for a variety of reasons.
He is one of thousands of inmates across the country in a twilight zone of uncertainty about their fate, victims of a slow and inefficient judicial system that can take years to hear even simple cases of theft.
Meanwhile, suspects who cannot afford bail are trapped inside overcrowded prisons, mixed with hardened tattooed gang members.
Accused of illegal recruitment, Matias is growing old inside the decrepit Manila City Jail, a facility near Quiapo meant for barely 2000, now attempting to shelter nearly 4000.
Howie Severino and his documentary team follow Matias and two other long-time jail inmates as they navigate through this earthly purgatory, attending court hearings and surviving a captive society of sad and lonely men. All of them have vainly hoped for a speedy end to their ordeal.
With less than one in five cases ending in convictions, many inmates will eventually be declared innocent, but only after years in jail.
The documentary also features stark and compelling black-and-white photographs by award-winning documentary photographer Rick Rocamora of life inside these congested and sordid halfway houses.
On Monday night, June 27, enter Purgatoryo with Howie Severino.
Nakatala sa ating konstitusyon na ang isang kaso ay dapat nabibigyan ng hatol sa loob ng tatlong buwan o siyamnapung araw. Pero para sa 54 taong gulang na si Matias Domequil, siyam na taon na siyang naghihintay ng hatol sa loob ng Manila City Jail. Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa mapagdesisyunan ng korte kung siya nga ba ay may sala sa kasong illegal recruitment.
Isang dating negosyante, nagkawatak-watak na ang kaniyang pamliya mula nang siya’y mapasok sa kulungan. Lahat ng kaniyang ari-arian mula lupa hanggang kotse, nakuha na ng gobyerno. Ngunit hindi pa rin tiyak kung siya nga ba ay may sala.
Si Matias ay isa lamang sa libo-libong mga inmate sa ating bansa na nasa mundo na tila isang purgatoryo, isang mundo na walang katiyakan. Sa bagal ng sistema ng hustisya sa ating bansa, taon ang binibilang bago nila malaman ang kanilang kahihinatnan: kung sila nga ba ay mapapalaya, o tuluyan nang mabibilanggo.
Samantala, marami naman ang hindi kayang mabayaran ang kanilang piyansa kaya lalong sumisikip at dumadami ang nagtitiis sa loob ng mga kulungan.
Tumatanda na si Matias sa loob ng Manila City Jail, isang pasilidad na dapat lamang ay para sa 2,000 katao, ngunit ngayon ay tirahan ng 4,000 detainee.
Kabilang din sa dokumentaryo ang mga imahe mula sa batikang documentary photographer na si Rick Rocamora. Sa kaniyang mga imahe makikita ang kaawa-awang sitwasyon sa loob ng mga kulungan.
Sa Lunes ng gabi, June 27, samahan si Howie Severino pasukin ang Purgatoryo.
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