MARK JAREN A.

PARDO BSCRIM 3K
INSTITUTIONAL CORRECTIONS

BEHIND BARS: SOUTH COTABATO, PHILIPPINES

This video documentary was produced by a group of lone
filmmakers from South Cotabato, Philippines. There were crooks
all around you, and inmates were treated like slaves. The "Free
Documentary" collective is the group behind this documentary's
creation. They had the guts to go through the stress and
atmosphere there, and I admire them for that.
The focus of this documentary was the South Cotabato Jail in
the Philippines, which houses the harshest prison in the world.
one of the world's most congested prisons.
Drug dealers, murderers, and rapists.
culpable and innocent parties.
They're all locked up together.
More than 2000 detainees have been packed into shoebox-sized
rooms in a jail built to house 600 people.
There is no chance for reform while the prison is
overcrowded.
What awaits Ronniel Dumagit behind those bars is a mystery at
this point. He is a novice. His experience in jail is new to him.
But more quickly than he would want, he will figure out how the
prison operates, what the hierarchy looks like, and how he must
act to stay alive. One prisoner selects the rank and privileges
that each other prisoner will have while incarcerated. He is
referred to as El Presidente and Glecerio de Pedro, and his
goons, also known as marshals, run the prison.
Because of his wealth, El Presidente is in a position of power.
The prisoners haven't even been found guilty.
The Philippine justice system is completely overburdened as
a result of President Duterte's war on drugs.
Thousands of suspects are forced to wait for a decision alongside
people who have already been found guilty inhumane conditions
such as a confined space, oppressive heat, a lack of water, and,
The worst kind of jail is one where the prisoners run things.
With so many detainees, the guards are helpless.
As a result, hierarchies and power dynamics rule the prison.
In response to this documentary, The BJMP: Bureau of Jail
Management and Penology in South Cotabato, I've come to the
conclusion that jail life is not all that harsh compared to life
outside of a prison. I grieve when I think of the difficulty
people are having in the little, inhumane prison. The most
important lesson I've taken away from this experience is to
always manage your emotions, especially your anger. I've also
learned to be grateful in life, refrain from using drugs, and
treat my family with the utmost respect.