Child Prisoners In Olongapo
Document Title: Child Prisoners In Olongapo
Document Ref No: R9101011
First Published: Reflections - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Publication Date: January 1st 1991
Author's Name: Father Shay Cullen SSC
In all relationships it is the honest and open self-revelation of one to
another that makes up the dynamics of love. That which is hidden is revealed,
that which is obscure becomes clear.
This is the enlightenment that takes place when we come close to God. But
it is God's privilege to reveal himself to us at a time and in a manner
of his own choice.
I like to look for Christ in the various different places that he said he
would be. I like to position myself at special moments to be there just
in case God chooses to come around and make himself known.
A few weeks ago two seminarians working as summer volunteers with Preda
center went to main police station with instructions. "If there are
any children there phone me and I'll come over".
They did, they found eight.
I arrived and saw the youngest to be about seven, naked except for shorts.
There was no toilet, except inside the adjoining cell with the hardened
criminals, there was no food - just one small wooden stool. It was hot and
stifling and the acrid stench of stale urine pervaded the small space where
the children were locked up.
People don't want to believe this, it happens all the time.
The police should be catching the crooks that are holding up the stores
and robbing homes and exploiting the women and children in the bar and clubs.
Here the police used a prison bully boy to strip other children of all the
money they had and other possessions.
A young girl no more than 15 years old sat inside the gate, hiding herself
for shame at being inside the jail. If she is not released she will be fed
to the male prisoners for their pleasure this night I thought.
The Lt. Estaban, a relative of Gordon, the chief investigator came out of
his office and demanded in a loud voice what did we think we were doing.
"Visiting the children and asking why are they imprisoned like this"
I replied. By what law, or by what right were little children treated like
this in a so called enlightened civilization is what I wanted to know. Why
is it allowed to happen day after day.
The legislators are ignorant or else they don't care if there is no law
to prevent the illegal arrest and detention of children by the very people
who are supposed to be the protectors of the weakest in society.
Instead here are some who are preying on innocent children and taking everything
off them.
Esteban became belligerent, began shouting abusive words and saying "You
are not my superior, you can't question me"
Who is the superior of Estaban and what are they doing, aiding and abetting
the detention of children?
It is the disgrace of the National police force and a shame to the nation.
It is this kind of shameless imprisonment of children and the apparent inability
or paralysis of society to stop it that has our country heavily criticized
for the violation of human rights before the community of nations of the
world in the United Nations.
If this is what they do to children what will they do to political prisoners?
Its not hard to imagine.
What are most politicians doing about it? Apparently very little other than
trying a cosmetic face-lift for their fatally diseased and corrupt images.
There are the noble and committed Filipinos who should be rightly outraged
with the imprisonment of children but they must get together to do something
about it.
Just two nights ago Sergeant Lopez, a well meaning policeman, sickened by
the abuse of the children in the jail called us up to tell us that there
had been a big "clean-up" of Olongapo and 21 children were being
brought to the Prison.
