Freedom and Death Inside the Jail.pdf - The Action Program for ...

A Message From
The Supreme Court of the Philippines
For the last five years, the Supreme Court has been initiating and taking concrete steps
to reform and modernize the Philippine Judiciary through its Action Program for Judicial
Reform (APJR). The APJR encompasses a comprehensive set of reform projects and
activities designed and intended to realize my vision of a Judiciary that is independent,
effective and efficient, and worthy of public trust and confidence.
One of the components of the APJR is Access to Justice by the Poor, which seeks to
ensure that the poor have equal access to and treatment under the law, within a judicial
system that promotes impartiality. It is also an over arching goal which all of the pillars
of justice are striving to achieve. Several factors, however, thwarts the justice system,
particularly the courts, from guaranteeing that the poor and marginalized sectors have
access to justice.
To carry out Access to Justice by the Poor such that Filipinos from all walks of life, especially
the underprivileged, are afforded the opportunity to access the court systems,
the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has provided a grant facility to
pioneer research or studies on areas where access to justice is most crucial. With UNDP’s
invaluable assistance and generous support, we obtained useful data for the thorough
assessment of issues and problems in the present system of administration of criminal
justice.
Among the studies conducted is Freedom and Death Inside the Quezon City Jail.
This study highlights the conditions of inmates and jail officers in Quezon City Jail,
emphasizing the value of human dignity amidst seclusion and deprivation of liberty;
and incorporates certain recommendations aimed at redeeming and restoring the basic
rights of every person within the walls of a prison. To say the least, this research is an
eye opener, for it reveals how the performance of criminal justice agencies affects access
to justice in this country.
It is indeed a blessing for us that a former inmate, Mr. Raymund E. Narag assumed the
endeavor of documenting the details of jail administration. Despite the hardships of his
seven years of incarceration, he emerged not only unscathed, but inspired and emboldened
with a gripping desire to share with the outside world his experiences inside the
Quezon City Jail.
May all the stakeholders of the criminal justice system be equally emboldened to help
improve the conditions of our jails; expedite the disposition of criminal cases especially
those where the accused cannot, for reason of poverty, obtain provisional liberty; and to
strengthen the resolve of the five pillars of the criminal justice system to work closely
together to make genuine access to justice by the poor a reality.
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Freedom and Death Inside The Jail
Hon. Hilario G. Davide, Jr.
CHIEF JUSTICE
Supreme Court of the Philippines
21 January 2005