Willie Ong urges gov’t to provide health, rehabilitation to PDLs

Vice presidential candidate Dr. Willie Ong on Friday urged the government to provide health and rehabilitation to persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).

In a statement, Ong said there are pressing concerns such as overcrowding, lack of personnel, and inadequate psychological, medical, and physical support.

“Kailangan alagaan natin ang bawat Pilipino. Nakakaawa ang sitwasyon nila sa loob. Bigyan natin sila ng kahit first-aid na gamot at maayos na pagkain. Tutukan din natin ang rehabilitation needs nila sa paglaya balang araw," he said.

(We need to take care of every Filipino. Their situation is pitiful in theirs. We need to give them first-aid medicine and good food. We need to focus on their rehabilitation.)

“Itong daang libong mga tao na 'to natutulog sa masisikip na espasyo, at marami kulang sa gamutan at pagkain,” he added.

(These thousands of people sleep in only a little space and many lack medicine and food.)

As of December 2021, there are 48,501 individuals under the custody of the Bureau of Corrections and 117,229 PDLs under the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

According to Ong, the failure to adopt reforms in the prison system will affect the family members of PDLs and the poorest members of society. — Joahna Lei Casilao/RSJ, GMA News