Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas – KMP
May 11, 2021.
A timeline of injustice and neglect
Peasant leader Joseph Canlas was in stable physical condition before his illegal arrest and detention. The quick deterioration of his health in less than two months is unquestionably due to neglect of jail authorities, on top of severe and miserable jail conditions.
We particularly call the attention of BJMP Angeles District Warden Jsupt. Rebecca Manalo-Tiguelo who appears to belittle the plight of Canlas and other detainees. Last week, Canlas expressed that he was not feeling well but Manalo-Tiguelo simply dismissed Canlas’s ailment as ‘umaarte lang.’
If jail authorities thoroughly checked Canlas’s health condition, they would have known that he has hypertension and diabetes which makes him more vulnerable to COVID infection. If he received proper medical attention while in detention, then the risks could have been lessened.
After a series of quarantines, no COVID testing was done on Canlas (and reportedly also on other detainees) so there was no way to determine if a detainee, even under quarantine, is COVID positive or not.
We highly suspect that Joseph Canlas got COVID infected while under quarantine inside BJMP jail facilities.
March 30 – Peasant leader Joseph Canlas was illegally arrested in Barangay Sapang Maisac, Mexico, Pampanga. He was then brought to PNP Camp Olivas in San Fernando, Pampanga.
April 1 – He was transferred and put under quarantine at the CIDG Region 3. While in quarantine, he was not allowed to receive visitors even from family members and counsel.
April 15 – After 14 days, he was transferred to the BJMP Detention Center in Angeles City after an X-ray examination. He was listed to be put under quarantine, as BJMP’s facility was full.
April 22 – He was put in BJMP’s quarantine facility, along with 100 or more detainees.
May 6 – After another 14 days, he was transferred to a regular jail, Selda 25.
May 7 – In a phone call with relatives, Canlas exhibited stuttering in speech. He also exhibited physical weakness and needed help in eating, walking, etc. By night time he had difficulties breathing.
May 8 – On Saturday evening, Canlas was rushed to a hospital in Angeles City due to a possible stroke and low oxygen level (74%, compared to the 95% and higher normal level).
May 9 – On early Sunday morning, he was transferred to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) due to acute respiratory failure and COVID.
May 10 – He is already in a coma, and still has low oxygen levels despite being intubated and connected to a mechanical ventilator.
Ka Joseph does not even deserve a day in detention yet he is now in a life-threatening situation due to grave government neglect and deprivation of necessary health and medical attention.
May 11 – Canlas succumbed early this morning to complications of COVID-19 which he acquired due to unjust and prolonged detention.
We maintain that Canlas could have only acquired COVID at the hands of BJMP Angeles. He exhibited difficulty in breathing, a COVID symptom, just a day after being transferred from quarantine to a regular jail. This puts into question the efficacy of PNP Region 3 and BJMP Angeles’ quarantine procedures and other health protocols. Alarmingly, BJMP detainees and personnel are also put under serious threat of COVID.
We could only blame the Duterte government for Canlas’ untimely death. The state’s brutal fascism killed Canlas who was exposed to COVID while in detention and under the custody of the BJMP. His unjust detention led to the swift deterioration of his health condition. #
