Locked Down Jails and the Prison Ministry

Last October 13, 2021 Rev. Msgr. Paul Cuison, Parish Priest of St. Francis of Assisi-Maa, celebrated a special mass for the fiesta of Our Lady of Fatima, patron saint of DC Annex Jail. It was held inside the SFAP Blessed Sacrament Chapel because, like all other jails in the country, Annex Jail is still on lockdown due to COVID19; as such no outsider, not even a priest, is allowed inside the jails since March, 2020.

Thanks to modern technology and the support of Maa parish, E-Masses are availed by PDLs upon request by the Warden. Sunday masses are also Live-streamed to PDLs gathered inside the jail chapels. Spirituality and religious fulfillment are just one of the things that are wanting inside our jails today because service providers are still not allowed inside. This lock down, however, could not stop the Davao Archdiocesan Prison Ministry (DAPMin) from doing its dual God-given mission: to serve those in prison and those released from it.

In close coordination with the Jail Wardens and mission partners, DAPMin continues to deliver aid to PDLs of nearby jails. Mary’s Little Children Community has “adopted” and sends food and toiletries to Panabo District Jail and IGACOS City Jail.

Likewise, the Lay Dominicans of Davao, Marriage Encounter St. Peter Series DC, Missionary Families of Christ Singles-DC, Minute Burger, MERCO Quality Cakes, NCCC Cares and various generous individuals who prefer to remain anonymous, have generously shared their resources with DAPMin to continuously provide “ayuda” to the elderly and sick PDLs of Annex Jail. This “ayuda” plus medicines and spiritual, emotional counseling, is also provided at least twice a month to ex-PDLs who have been released in these times and have difficulty finding livelihood and sustenance. Travel and restrictions, too, have not prevented DAPMin from giving aid to the PDLs of Correctional Institute for Women in DAPECOL.

Para-legal assistance continues through our able volunteers in coordination with PDL’s families, their lawyers and PAO. This is not easy to do nowadays because volunteers are not allowed to have face-to-face consultation with PDLs but as what paralegal assistant, Cheche, boldly said: “Am still on it, Ate, by God’s grace and provisions. Am collaborating with the law offices and giving pro-bono services for indigents. My pact with the Lord is a lifetime service to His children behind bars and to the lost. Am not allowed inside the jails but it won’t hinder me to serve the Lord.”

Much, much more needs to be done for our PDLs in these trying times. DAPMin is praying and hoping that when all PDLs and BJMP personnel shall have been fully vaccinated, DAPMin will once again be allowed inside to serve those in prison, particularly in the jails where the sick, the elderly and the lost (those without visitors) are kept. Meanwhile, our incarcerated brothers and sisters are waiting for the lockdown to be lifted so their families can visit them again and the service providers can return. In Davao City Jail alone there are 354 PDLs inside the Female Jail, 860 elderly and/or sick men in the Annex Jail, and more than 1,800 men in the Main Jail.

May God through our church leaders and BJMP chiefs hear this heartfelt plea from a recently released elderly: “Lisod kaayo, Mam, kay pareha adtong naay nagkasakit, dili na siya mokaon, walay makahatag sa ila maski gatas o biscuits man lang kay walay service provider; maulaw pud sila mangayo sa mga BJMP personnel…. Ilang mga concerns dili dayon mahatagan ug pagtagad unlike kaniadto nga nakasulod pa ang mga DAPMin. Naa sila gusto buhaton sa Chapel dili nila mahimo kay sila-sila lang, walay financial support. Wala napud silay moral support gikan sa mga provider which is makaluya sa ila kay wala nay mag-encourage sa ila. Unta mabalik na mo.” (Marian Carmela Raquel | DAPMin)