Fides Lim has been a victim of the Bureau of Corrections’ (BuCor) tedious processes during her almost five years of providing aid to political prisoners and persons deprived of liberty (PDL) in facilities like the New Bilibid Prison and the Correctional Institution for Women.
Despite completely following the process behind the “paabot” system, which allows families and organizations to bring food and essential items to inmates, Lim and other members of Kapatid, a support group for loved ones of political prisoners, were hounded by layers of red tape, which led to the spoilage of food sent as relief for prisoners.
After Lim’s continuous complaints against BuCor, the agency banned her from entering prisons on April 29, citing “unruly behavior and repeated violations of correctional protocols.”
Lim discovered she had been banned on July 10, after being denied entry to the Correctional Institute for Women, where she was scheduled to deliver food to political prisoner Rona Degoso.
"Sasabihin sa akin, one of the charges is arrogance, unruly behavior. Bakit, isn’t it right to make a complaint when the procedure already becomes not only excessive but oppressive?” Lim said in an interview with the Collegian.
Tedious Process
Senders may complete deliveries made under the “paabot” system as long as they have completed the necessary process, which includes listing all items, along with their senders and recipients, in an official logbook.
Prior to each visit, Lim would send a full list of the items to be delivered, but this would still be subject to at least seven stages of inspection from police dogs, numerous x-ray scanners, and even physical opening of the perishable items. This multistage inspection would last up to seven hours, excluding the almost four-hour waiting time before said inspection.
The food would often end up spoiled, since the seven-step process doesn't cover distribution to the prisoners yet.
Lim shared that Kapatid’s Feb. 15 distribution of porridge at the New Bilibid Prison Maximum was only permitted after she sought the attention of Justice Secretary Jesus Remulla through a Facebook post.
After eight hours since its package, the boxes of porridge arrived in the prison crushed, spilled, and spoiled. Despite its inedible condition, prisoners consumed the porridge out of hunger.
Lim, wife of political prisoner Vicente Ladlad—currently detained in the Metro Manila District Jail—also endured strict inspections. She shared that in the past, bottled products were prohibited inside the facility, forcing her to buy costly sachets. Despite the hike in expenses, wardens and guards still threatened to slash these sachets open.
“This is how obstruction looks like. Politically motivated talaga yung treatment nila sa political prisoners at sa akin,” Lim added.
Food scarcity and hunger have been constant problems in the facility, especially with BuCor allocating only P70 for food and P15 for medicine per prisoner, based on the 2025 General Appropriations Act. While there are stores that sell food and basic necessities to prisoners, items are usually sold over three times their retail price.
BuCor’s food allocation was flagged by the Commission on Audit in 2024, stating that the P70 daily budget could not provide adequate nutrition to inmates.
Without enough assistance from jail management, Kapatid’s support became vital for political prisoners—especially those abandoned by their families due to financial burdens. Still, management continues to block certain items. For instance, Lim said that rice donations are restricted to just one kilogram per visit.
“Sasabihan ako, Fides, nagrereklamo sila. Hindi sila makatulog sa gabi dahil gutom, and yet yung dala naming five sacks of rice, ang pinayagan isang sako lang. Bakit ako hindi magagalit?” Lim said.
Inhumane Search
The inspection also nearly subjected Lim and her companions to a strip and body cavity search in a closed cubicle without any witnesses. She refused to undergo such inspection, calling it “inhumane.”
The search would have violated both a stipulation in the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, which states that strip searches must only be conducted if absolutely necessary, and a provision in the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Operations Manual requiring another visitor to act as witness during strip searches.
Following the harassment of the wives of political prisoners in New Bilibid Prison, Kapatid filed a complaint to the Commission on Human Rights on May 6, 2024, which pushed for the suspension four days later. But BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. continued to justify the policy and even sent an invitation to Lim involving the Bucor Division on Intelligence and Investigation.
The meeting supposedly tackled a complaint from the head of the Inmate Visiting Services Unit, who supervises the visiting area where body searches occur. For Lim, who was also a political prisoner during Martial Law, invitations from security units have usually been dangerous and coercive.
This is not the first time that Lim was punished after filing a complaint, as she was also banned April 30, 2024. But this was immediately lifted during the September 2024 appropriations hearing, as BuCor’s budget was frozen after inquiries from Congress.
“I want Congress to really go into the torture and suffering that they require relatives to undergo. This is not about me. It’s about families, political prisoners, and the larger population of PDLs who are made to undergo the same kind of ordeal,” Lim said.
As of now, Lim, with the support of multiple human rights organizations, has sent a letter to Remulla moving to investigate and lift her permanent ban . She also urged independent bodies, including the Department of Justice, Congress, and the Commission on Human Rights to conduct an independent investigation into BuCor’s practices.
“There should be accountability for those who use public office to intimidate complainants like me. This already affects not only me as a human rights advocate, but the PDL population in general,” Lim said. ●
