Women detainees: chained roses

By Ma. Theresa Lugares

Dina*, 28, left Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental in the hope for a greener pasture in Cagayan de Oro City. At a very young age, she left her home to work as a cashier in a wholesale enterprise owned by her cousin in Cogon Market. She enjoyed working and doing things that she believed to be the stepping stones of the bigger dream she wanted to achieve – to work abroad. It used to be a fine life for Dina.

Until one night, the horror that tore all her aspirations and dreams came. The owner of the establishment she worked was out for a trip and Dina was the only one left to look after the store while the owner family was away. A friend of Dina persuaded her to let him leave something inside the store.

“Wala gyud ko kabalo nga shabu diay to unya kalit lang dayun niabot ang mga PDEA. Nadamay na dayun ko”, she explained.

“Grabi kaayo akong pangandoy sa akong kinabuhi unya kalit lang bitaw nahugno tanan.” Dina said. March 21, 2013, Dina was arrested for allegedly involving herself with illegal drug transactions. She was sent to Cagayan de Oro City Jail Juvenile and Women Dormitory in Barangay Lumbia. But more than a year after the event, her case is still not having a clear picture.

Turtle-paced

The Philippines’ justice system seems to move in a turtle-pace. It’s a cycle that frequently does not pushes through the end but more on slowly disappearing along the process and suddenly starts all over again with a small or no trace at all of its progress; arresting and detaining more and more purported suspects however solving cases that takes years to be decided; years that supposed to be a productive life for innocents who are brought to jail for the wrong reasons, the years that sucked the lives and hopes out of the many who dreamt to be freed and be back with their lives outside. The longer

they stay the lesser they grasp for the chance to be able to get the justice they deserve.

Delays in the justice system not only elicit inconvenience to litigants and victims of injustices but also incompetence of the government to set a better and systematic process of serving justice to where and whom it is due.

Oro women’s context

So much as we deplore delay in our judiciary, Cagayan de Oro does not escape from this phenomenon.Cagayan de Oro City Jail Juvenile and Women dormitory is a home to women detainees.

“Naa sila diri na-detain kay naa silay kaso nga wala pa nahuman. ” JO1 Aven Liwanan, JMP, head of Security and Control of the facility.

The facility is equipped with three dormitories that cater a population of 126 women – including three convicts – an apparent number of detainees who have stayed in for already a long time.

Well taken care of

Despite the number, the administrators do not neglect the needs of these women. They have allowed many programs to while away the time and reduce the occurrence of depression, apathy and other psychological issues that they may encounter. These programs, such as culinary and sewing, allow them to mingle with others which, in return, lessen the anxieties of being away from their families. Women jail officers are also present whenever a detainee needs someone to spill out her feelings about something that bothers her.

“Maayo man pud ilang paghawid sa amo-a. Kung kana lugar’ng problemado kayo mi, pwede mi sa ila mag-share ug mustorya kay pangitaan man na nila ug pamaagi.” Dina said as she told the story about her first few weeks and she missed her family and the officers looked for a way to contact her mother to somehow ease her worries.

Justice delayed

Indeed, women detainees are treated fair and well while they wait for whatever decision they have to face on their last court call. But that shouldn’t be the only factor to look into. They, too, have families they wished to see and loved ones they wished to be with.

Happiness in a small facility can never suffice the satisfaction of going anywhere else and do whatever their hearts desire than within the walls of a detention center. Women like Dina could have done more for her family who is counting on her.

They say ‘Justice delayed is justice denied.’ – a norm that our system has difficulty to get out. Or are we, for real, even close to getting off this ride? The halls of justice shouldn’t be a place for sluggards.

*Name witheld for request of anonymity

#peaceandorder #women #detainees