Rights group slams government for spending P5k/day for Janet Lim-Napoles

Rights group Hustisya hit the huge expenses paid by the government for the detention of Janet Lim-Napoles.

"She should be transferred to a regular prison. The people should not be paying for this outrageous amount to detain one prisoner, much more one who allegedly amassed millions of pesos from the people," said Hustisya secretary general Cristina Guevarra,."

The group said political prisoners, who are imprisoned on trumped-up charges, are allocated a measly budget of P50 a day for food, an inadequate sum compared to the government's VIP budget to keep Napoles comfortable in jail.

"Isn't it outrageous that the Aquino government spends a hundred times the budget allocated to ordinary prisoners, while ordinary prisoners and political prisoners rot in subhuman conditions in detention centers all-over the country?" Guevarra said.

Hustisya said that in ordinary jails, prisoners are cramped in small cells, and water supply is scarce. Daily food rations consist of raw or dried fish and some vegetables. "Also, Napoles can seek medical attention anytime she wants to. Political prisoners, on the other hand, need to be in critical conditions to be allowed to be brought to the hospital," she said.

Last year, a political prisoner, Alison Alcantara, died of diabetes complications. He was detained at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa but was only brought to the Philippine General Hospital after he went into a coma.

Hustisya said there are currently 427 political prisoners detained in different jails all over the country, most of them charged with trumped-up and non-bailable cases. Many of them belong to people's organizations, activists, and are ordinary farmers and workers.

According to Hustisya, it is unjust for the government to accord Napoles this special treatment while millions of Filipinos are hungry everyday. "The five-thousand daily budget for Napoles is huge compared to a Filipino family's daily cost of living," Guevarra said.

Ibon Foundation in August 2013 pegged the daily cost of living at P1,056 for a family of six members.

"Prison conditions should be improved. We call on that political prisoners should be released. No person for the furtherance of his or her political beliefs should be imprisoned. It is plunderers and human rights violators who should rot in jail," Guevara said.