In light of a repressive and misogynistic penal system that places women political prisoners at risk, civil society groups demand gender-specific standards that uphold women’s rights and dignity in criminal justice systems.
Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) member Atty. Angelisa Razo noted that detention is often the “first weapon” against women political activists in the Philippines
“The state is weaponizing detention. The Bangkok Rules tell us that imprisonment should be the last resort… Kung political prisoner ka, ang ginagamit gyud nga weapon against you is detention,” Razo said.
In addressing the historically overlooked needs of women political prisoners, the United Nations’ (UN) Bangkok Rules is a framework that outlines standards for the treatment of women offenders in male-designed prisons.
However, KARAPATAN – Southern Mindanao Region Secretary-General Jay Apiag emphasized that since its 2010 adoption, its integration in national and local policies has been close to nonexistent and slow.
“Gikan 2010 hantud 2020, napulo ka tuig ang nilabay… wala jud siya naimplementa. This is actually overdue implementation.”
Apiag also highlighted the case of human rights worker Reina Mae Nasino, who was handcuffed at her three-month-old baby’s funeral in 2020 after being removed from her care a month post-birth.
As of February 2025, Karapatan cited 157 women political prisoners in the country, depicting the persistent vulnerabilities for Filipino women activists.
Gabriela – Southern Mindanao Region Deputy Secretary General Dr. Jean Lindo criticized the repressive laws that continue to undermine the efforts of activists who work towards development in the women’s movement.
“Repressive siya tungod kay disproportionately targeted ang mga kababayen-an, especially women in grassroots organizing. Naa’y legal ambiguity para i-suppress ang mga peaceful protests and community work,” Lindo explained.
Experienced in working with political prisoners, Razo showed how the current treatment of women political detainees violates the Bangkok Rules in terms of admission, reproductive health, childcare, safety, and dignity.
Razo revealed one case of student activist Chaba Bañez, who was “pressured to surrender” and was interrogated by unknown men without her lawyers after being detained, citing this as a violation of Bangkok Rule 12, which assures a detainee’s right to trauma-informed care.
“That is what we call ‘law fare.’ The state uses the law to harass. The Bangkok Rules demand that we protect the mental health of women prisoners, but in the case of Chaba, the state actively tried to break her mental resilience,” Razo recounted.
She also detailed the case of peasant organizer Virgie Valdez, detained in Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, who was barred from attending her mother’s funeral in Marihatag due to her classification as a “high-risk” detainee.
“Gi-label si Virgie as ‘high-risk’ PDL [Person Deprived of Liberty] because of her alleged status as high-ranking cadre of NPA [New People’s Army]. They claimed that transporting her to the wake in Marihatag, Surigao would expose their personnel to ambush or hostile recovery attempts.”
Razo highlighted that this violates Rule 26 on family contact and Rule 41 on gender-sensitive risk assessment, depriving Valdez of the chance to maintain relationships based on a politically assigned label.
“By denying her physical presence, the system stripped the contact of its humanity… BJMP [Bureau of Jail Management and Penology] classified Virgie as ‘high-risk’ based on a political label, but they did not assess her risk as a woman. Did they assess her risk as a grieving daughter?”
Exposing these realities, Razo underscored the passage of Davao City’s “Dignity for Women in Conflict with the Law and Deprived of Liberty Ordinance,” which assures the rights of women detainees.
“Mao ni ang first localization of the Bangkok Rules in the Philippines… The very goal of the Bangkok Rules, ang atong mga panginahanglan… kailangan pud tumanon sa siyudad.”
This new ordinance mandates humane and gender-specific treatment of women prisoners, support for mothers, rehabilitation and reintegration, and adequate staffing for detention facilities, among other key provisions.
Organized by KARAPATAN-SMR, with the Ateneo Public Interest and Legal Advocacy (APILA) Center, Gabriela-SMR, Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainees Laban sa Detensyon at Aresto (SELDA) SMR, and Sabokahan, the “Discussion on the Bangkok Rules: A Forum on the Treatment of Women Offenders and Political Prisoners” was held at Ateneo de Davao University on November 29.