In Manila, new prisoners very rarely know their rights.  Years of their lives are being determined by a system that they don’t fully understand.  Because of this, the JusticeMakers in Manila make a point to hold an orientation once a month in each jail to inform new inmates about the penal system, their rights within it, and the help that the Paralegal Coordinators in the prisons can offer them.

I was recently able to follow Junard and Julius, two of the JusticeMakers here, to an orientation session in Mandaluyong City Jail in Manila.  The information they presented at this meeting was very basic.  The purpose was not to instruct the prisoners about their individual cases, but rather to teach them how the system works, and where they fit into it. The important thing for the inmates in these prisons is knowing what comes next, so that they can be prepared for it.

The impact of orientations like this can be powerful.  Through the information provided, inmates are able to see their trial as a concrete system, with rules and regulation and clear procedure.  In addition, they are introduced to the Paralegal Coordinators in the jail, who can provide advice for individual inmates on their upcoming case.  This allows them to collaborate and prepare for upcoming hearings in an informed manner.  Because of basic orientations and innovations like the Paralegal Coordinator, the JusticeMakers in Manila are building a system that is helping to decongest the prisons in Manila through information and inmate empowerment.

One of my coworkers in Manila has a very interesting story.  His experience illustrates not only the problems in the justice system in the Philippines, but also how the JusticeMakers are making a difference.

Julius Montealegre was playing Mah Jongg on the sidewalk with friends on Aug 23, 2002 when 2 plainclothes policemen approached him.  The police were responding to a tip that there were drugs in the area and Julius was picked up.  According to Julius, he was questioned, roughed up, then sent to jail, despite the fact that this had been a warrantless arrest, and no drugs had been found on him.

His first hearing was scheduled for a month later, but that was postponed.  The judge was gone on vacation.  3 months later, another postponement - the prosecutor was at a seminar.   This continued for a year.  When his trial finally got underway, it was slow going.  Hearings, motions, defense, prosecution, calling witness, and cross examinations all take place at separate hearings - generally scheduled 3 months apart.  Julius was going to be waiting for awhile.

In his free time at the jail, Julius became one of the first Paralegal Coordinators working with the JusticeMakers.  He learned and educated his fellow inmates about their rights and the laws they were accused of breaking.  In this way, he and fellow inmates were able to proactively work on their own defenses - a necessity when the accused generally meets his court-appointed attorney an hour before an upcoming trial.

In 2008, 6 years after his arrest, Julius was released because of a lack of evidence.  His work with Rommel and the JusticeMakers in Manila helped free him from jail.  Since his release, they have hired him full time and he continues to educate inmates about their rights.

Every Monday, the Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation (HLAF) runs a training seminar in the Mandaluyong City Jail.  The goal is to serve the inmates by training inmate Paralegal Coordinators that will engage in providing their co-inmates with knowledge on their rights and pertinent laws regarding their cases.

HLAF has found that many inmates overstayed in jail because most of them did not know their rights and did not know the procedure of the criminal justice system.  In a system where the average inmate waits 6 years for a verdict, the paralegal coordinators can be an invaluable help in decongesting the jails and trial dockets.

This week, Junard, a staff member working with 2008 JusticeMakers Fellow Rommel Abitria, instructed a group of about 15 inmate Paralegal Coordinators on some common laws and legal definitions that the inmates are likely to see in their trials.  After, the Paralegals are tested on their knowledge.  Every afternoon, they meet with other inmates to give advice and answer questions about upcoming trials.

Junard, one of the Justicemakers at HLAF, instructs prisoners in the Mandaluyong City Jail.  The jail is at more than 300% of capacity, and instructing inmates on their rights allows them to move through the justice system in a quicker and more organized manner.

A paralegal coordinator studies material before a quiz on Monday.

For two months, I will be documenting the work of the Justice Makers team in Manila.  Rommel and his team work with various prisons and court systems working to improve prison conditions throughout the city.  It’s obvious I’ll be busy - in my first week, I’ve visited a courthouse, two prisons, and the Justice Makers headquarters.

Through photos, audio and video, I will explore the problems being addressed, their causes, and the innovations that the Justice Makers team has implemented to resolve these issues.

Here is a collection of panoramas and candid street shots documenting everyday life in Manila. These pictures document the beauty of the people and the city that I am in, but also touch on some of the problems faced here, from traffic congestion, to pollution, to poverty.