Thrilla In Manila

Ladies and gentlemen we are about to enter our final round of our main event. The fight has been spectacular down to the wire, everything is still up for grabs. Both fighters are still sharp on their toes, they both have more than enough knock-out power in both hands.

Round one was all PDEA. Practically beating the life out of the Alabang boy. One devastating blow after another left the boy looking completely lost in the ring. I still don’t know how he survived and managed to stay on his feet for those three minutes. He simply refused to die.

Round two was terrible once again for the Alabang boy. The relentless pounding of PDEA continued. PDEA even planted all the ‘illegal items’ to try and knock-out it’s foe who was clinging on for dear life. I saw a low-blow connect as well, sending ripples of pain through the Alabang boy.

We all thought round three was going to be a funeral but somehow the boy was able to bounce back. It was half way through the round when PDEA slipped and it was at that very moment that the boy climbed back into the fight. A thunderous right hook caught PDEA blind sided sending him to a world of pain. PDEA was out cold at the DOJ (Department of Justice), but the bell rang right in time to send him wobbling back to the corner.

The boy stepped out of the corner with renewed confidence to begin round four. PDEA however was more than ready to make-up for round three. Every blow the boy threw was successfully countered. PDEA was raining punches down on the boy in rhythm to their FIFTY MILLION screaming fans. The roar was deafening, a complete PSYCH-out for the Alabang boy.

Round five was a perfect split! Both fighters exchanged some heavy blows and successful combinations. As heated as the action was inside the ring I’d have to say half the fight was past the ropes. PDEA has been collaborating with Philippine Boxing Commission’s Congress to discredit the guest referee from DOJ along with tonight’s judges. They are claiming that the fight has been rigged in favor of the boy. PDEA has really gotten down and dirty bringing out the boy’s relatives to say that he’s been taking illegal substances to prepare for the match. The crazy family of Dave and Marissa Brodett were here at ringside throwing vegetables at the boy. We needed security to remove the crazed lunatics.

Round six gave us an unprecedented spike in recorded tuned-in spectators. After four rounds of pay-per-view the Philippine Boxing Commission publicly broadcasted round five! Viewers across the nation tuned in eagerly to finally get a glimpse of the Alabang boy. The start of the round was dominated by the boy throwing combination after combination which found its mark with great precision. PDEA lashed back with several low-blows desperately trying to keep the boy at bay. The boy was helpless to such foul tactics and received a cold unlawful DENIAL from the special guest referee from the Court of Appeals.

New judges and a change of the referee were needed for round seven. They were recruited from boxing’s Independent Supreme Court. PDEA started the round looking good being the aggressor for the first minute. He then began to tire and slip on the stand which the boy took full advantage of. PDEA’s I.O. 1s (Imbento Officers) practically almost knocked themselves out with their stupidity. By the time the bell rang PDEA was dazed and down on points.

The Alabang boy was all over PDEA in round eight. Connecting with every blow he was firm and straight on the stand. PDEA went down to kiss the canvass causing his singing agents to choke on their chants. PDEA even got desperate enough to bring back the crazy family of Marissa Brodett who was held by security at the gates. Momentum started to build for the boy winning two rounds in a row.


PDEA prepared for round nine. They had congressman Golez as the referee. They had the boy’s hands tied! To add insult to injury they even made the boy wear a pair of green shorts that said ‘PDEA detainee’. It was looking terrible for the boy, who appeared like a white mouse ready to be dropped in a tank of hungry piranhas. PDEA charged at the boy who was bound at the corner of the ring. The ‘war-freak’ fired one cruel blow after another even kicking the boy. Even more outrageous the referee threw in some cheap shots of his own. The boy went down as the bell rang. Marcelino and Santigago were beaming with the success of their dirty work.

The boy was freed of his bonds before beginning round ten. Despite the terrible beating he received from the earlier round he shuffled his feet with certainty. He landed several honest blows which the judge surely noted down on their score sheets. PDEA was not expecting any fight left from the boy. He was definitely caught unaware, and his frustration got the better of him. The Philippine STAR, INQUIRER and MANILA BULLETIN all reflected points in favor for the Alabang boy, citing several deductions on PDEA for its foul play in the earlier rounds. The United States report on Asia’s drug problem mentions PDEA and its unlawful ways which leads to the violation of several constitutional rights and unsuccessful prosecution.

Hierarchy in PDEA

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is headed by no less than the Commander-in-Chief madam President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She has appointed retired General Dionisio Santiago as her Under Secretary (Usec) with the position of Director General of PDEA. PDEA is divided to three teams; the Special Enforcement Services (SES) lead by Director Maj. Ferdinand Marcelino from the Philippine Marines the Critical Reaction Unit (CRU) lead by Director Maj. Lopez and the Metro-Manila Regional Officer (MMRO) currently lead by Regional Director (RD) retired Col. Carlos F. Gadapan. The MMRO serves the main Metro-Manila team with limited jurisdiction to operate in other parts of the country, while the SES and CRU are the effort teams with jurisdiction to operate anywhere in the Philippines.

Custodial Detention Facility (CDF) of PDEA is managed under the supervision of the MMRO Regional Director. The RD has assigned IO1 Roberto Sebastian (Sir Baste) as Chief Officer (CO) who he selected amongst his men to act as warden to the duty Jail Guards. The CO basically enforces the strict instructions of the RD and ensures that they are properly implemented. Assigned under the CO are his Jail Guards assigned in twenty-four hour shifts from nine in the morning to nine in the morning of the following day. All Jail Guards are male in gender and are Intelligence Officer I (IO1) in rank. They are authorized to conduct daily head counts and generally probe the detention area activities. PDEA has also assigned a round robin of Officers of the Day (OD) who is assigned to patrol the premises and ensure that everything is in order. The OD is at the same level of authority as the CO, but is not affiliated with the CDF. The OD is also authorized to conduct head counts and/or supervise over a jail guard conducting one.

Inside the CDF there is a separate hierarchy of power. The Mayor is in charge of the male detainees, he ensures that all rules and regulations are properly followed and abided by all under his control. The Mayora acts as the same for the female detainees. Below the two are their respective Bastonero and Bastonera who are in charge of assigning daily chores. The Bastonero and Bastonera collect Php 20.00 daily for rice and water consumption allowance from each detainee. Detainees are also requested to donate Php 50.00/day to them for visitors, which will serve as food budget for everyone to share. The Assistant Bastonero is in charge of handling the detainees’ case folders and updating the detainee status blackboard. He conducts monthly status reports for the CO and makes sure to inform him of up coming scheduled trials/hearings. The Officer-in-Charge (OIC) ensures that all tasks are properly conducted and that there are no problems in implementation. The Floor Manger is in charge of sweeping, mopping and maintaining the cleanliness of the floor area of the CDF. The Chief Mahinarya secures that all assigned Mahinarya on duty below him are properly doing their jobs. The Mahinarya is assigned to watch over all other detainees from ten in the evening (lights out) to four in the morning of the following day. It is only at four in the morning wherein they are allowed to get some shut eye. Any detainee may act as a server to another detainee with the blessing from the Mayor. This entitles him to a Php 20.00 minimum allowance as daily salary plus other amenities like food and bed space.

No matter what the position or rank given, all of us provide each other with outmost respect for one another. It is our belief that our Jail Guards are just doing their jobs despite the fact that some of them occasionally abuse their power from time to time. It is also our understanding that each detainee is just waiting for his or her day in court to defend their case in order to be set free one day. Each of us plays our respective roles like we do in the outside world. We feel our surrounding environment and adapt to it for our own sake and for the greater good of all. The one good thing about being branded as a detainee is that, a detainee is not yet convicted nor charged guilty for the alleged crime committed since it is stated in the law that, the accused is always presumed to be innocent until his or her guilt is otherwise proven.

Keeping Intouch

From the start of my detention last September 2008 here in the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Custodial Detention Facility (CDF) I have been introduced to a total of ninety-nine (99) other detainees, each with his or her own unique characteristics. As of March 2009 we are currently thirty-one (31) detainees now due to court orders to transfer selected detainees to Navotas, Taguig, Pampanga, Malolos, Pasay, Olongapo, Manila and majority of the women to Camp Karingal in Quezon City or for release. I have witnessed seven (7) of them be released on bail, one (1) for reinvestigation and only two (2) for case dismissals. Throughout the duration of my stay here I have learned to mingle with them, adapt to our living environment and understand each of their personal life tribulations. I have also shared and narrated my life experiences with those I really got to get close to during the course of my stay here. Among others, we talked about our future plans, ambitions, dreams, how to makeup for lost time with our own families and the like. I made it possible to keep communication with those I have become close to who have already been transferred to their respective city jails. This way I could still extend my help to them through their families who come visit us from time to time.

Maritess Lopez, Naima Dimasar, Ainnie Abdulkarim and Josie Aznar are among others that were transferred to Camp Karingal who are still in communication with us through Ainnie’s husband Anseri. They informed us of their situation in the Quezon City jail. I remember they narrated in their letters that food was served in minimal portions. They were considered squatters and slept in shifts as well. They also mentioned that they needed yellow t-shirts to be allowed to enter the plaza. Just recently we sent them some yellow t-shirts with my dad’s NBN television show advertised and groceries which we specifically requested to be bought since canned goods, glass bottles and other specifics were not allowed as their policy.

Rose Marie “dona” Ligaray was five (5) months pregnant when she was transferred along with Analyn “len-len” Lacson Rosales and other detainees to Pampanga city jail. During their stay with us here at the PDEA, CDF we provided them with assistance for their medical checkups. One day, Rose Marie was worried that her unborn child had died since she could not feel its heartbeat. I immediately wrote her letter of request which was granted by the MMRO regional director retired Col. Carlos F. Gadapan. She was happy to hear the results the doctor delivered to her which he derived from her checkup and blood test. After two weeks of antibiotics Len-len was still suffering from chronic cough so we decided to send her for a checkup. It was later known that Len-len was suffering from advance TB and needed medication as to not infect the other detainees. A family friend of the Tecson’s provided her with forty-five days worth of TB medication including asthma medication which we provided for her. There was also an outbreak of boils or “pigsa” amongst thirteen (13) detainees’ majority of the Pampanga group, wherein we donated over one-hundred antibiotics which in two to three weeks terminated the disease. When GMA7’s Sandra Aguinaldo interviewed me I requested her to inform their GMA7 Kapuso Foundation to provided assistance to the two women that needed help in branch 174. Just a few days ago Dona and Len-len wrote to us and informed us of their current status. Dona is about to give birth anytime soon while Len-len has been apparently coughing up blood since she has already ran out of medication. We decided to send them some groceries through one of their family friends for the meantime.

Wilmer Lazaro and Ronaldo “monching” Carriedo were are two servers and adopted family members here at the PDEA, CDF who got transferred to Malolos, Bulacan. Jopet, Tommy and I are actually ninongs (godfathers) of Wilmer’s first born daughter Lery Joy. On the other hand, Monching is father to three children. From time to time their wives come to visit us here in detention. They inform us of their husband’s situation and ask our parents and us if we could find a way to help them out in anyway. We and the other detainees have come up with a sufficient amount of money to help them financially pay for their required bail of Php 9,000.00 each.

The people mentioned above and their stories are just a few examples of how hard a prisoner’s life is. It is actually a consolation to remain in the PDEA, CDF since our families are able to visit us on weekdays, weekends and holidays. An abundance of food is also provided everyday by our families for everyone to share amongst themselves. We are not too congested as compared to a city jail’s ambiance. The atmosphere in general is cool considering that there are only three 5x5 inches exhaust fans for ventilation of the entire CDF. These are just a few advantages we have inside the PDEA, CDF. One thing is certain in any detention facility or jail, both rich or poor are considered equals no matter what the circumstances are. You must learn to create and adjust to Unitarianism which is the greater good for the greater majority or number.