PALO, Leyte – The Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) regional office in Eastern Visayas is conducting a thorough investigation into allegations of maltreatment of political prisoners inside the Tacloban City Jail, raised by a human rights group.

BJMP Regional Director Jail Senior Supt. Rill Sonon said an investigation team was formed to look into the allegations raised by the so-called "Tacloban 5" through the human rights group Kapatid.

“I ordered an immediate investigation upon reading the post on social media. I am just waiting for the final report that will guide us on the next course of action to take,” Sonon said.

Sonon said the complaint was filed at the BJMP central office, and the regional office only received a copy after a week. “The complainants are not the persons deprived of liberty but some other individuals,” he said.

He said the complaint alleges that detained activists Frenchie Mae Cumpio and Marielle Domequil are experiencing neglect, discrimination, and abuses inside the TCJ female dormitory.

Cumpio and Domequil, together with Marissa Cabaljao, Mira Legion, and Alexander Philip Abinguna, were arrested in the early morning of February 7, 2020, inside their staff house. Charges of “illegal possession of firearms” and “financing terrorism” were filed against them. Cabaljao and Legion are presently out on bail.

Fides Lim, Kapatid spokesperson, said the two PDLs are experiencing “persistent medical neglect, suppression of visits and communications, and a broader climate of hostility.”

Cumpio reportedly experienced difficulties in accessing timely medical attention and maintaining communication with her legal team and family, said Lim.

Sonon said that regardless of the cases filed against them, PDLs are treated equally in all jail facilities. He said special considerations are only given to PDLs with special needs, such as pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and the elderly.

Sonon has temporarily relieved TCJ Female Dormitory Warden Eva Naputo while the investigation is ongoing.