MANILA, Philippines – As its name suggests, a correctional facility is a establishment that helps criminals rectify their behavior so they can avoid committing offenses again after they’re released from prison.
But President Rodrigo Duterte is not among those who believe that prisoners are still capable of positive change.
On the contrary, the chief executive is convinced that inmates — whether already freed or are still detained — remain as incurably deviant individuals and thus will always be recidivists.
“Maski anong klaseng hanapbuhay ituro mo diyan sa TESDA, once they are out, maghanap lang ‘yan ng konting…‘yong sa Bisaya, trouble. Pagkatapos, babalik ‘yan sa Muntinlupa, maligaya na sila,” Duterte said in his speech during the celebration of the 32nd anniversary of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority in Taguig City on Wednesday.
[No matter what kind of livelihood you teach them at TESDA, once they are out, they would just look for some trouble. And then they would happily return to Muntinlupa.]
“They do not want out of prison kasi [because] they have lost the existence, the essence or existence of a person productive. Mag-holdup lang ‘yan ng uli ng one time, mag-enjoy, mag-inom, mag-sabong, tapos payag na ‘yan silang makulong uli [They would just again engage in holdups, enjoy, drink liquor, bet in cockfights, then they would agree to be jailed again],” added Duterte.
‘Latent homosexuality’
Also, the President claimed that most prisoners become homosexuals.
“And most of them, prangkahan ko kayo [I’ll be frank with you], they have lost entirely ‘yong gender ano nila — identity [their gender identity],” he said.
“Sa katagalan sila-sila lang ‘yan. Pati babae doon sa correctional, sila-sila lang ‘yan [In the long run, they would have relationships among themselves. Even the women at the correctional, they would engage in homosexual relationships]. To a point that they would have acquired latent homosexuality,” added Duterte.
‘Already monsters’
The chief executive said he knew about the incurable deviance among prisoners because he did trial work as a prosecutor for nine years and handled cases involving recidivist inmates, whom he said were like “monsters” incapable of positive change.
“Matagal kasi akong prosecutor, almost nine years. I was doing trial work. Lahat mga ano ko, gano’n.”
“They are already monster(s) in the sense that they are incapable of…Kung meron man, papasok na ‘yang masochism, saktan ‘yong babae, gano’n-gano’n [If there is, there would be masochism, they would hurt women, like those things].”
That is why most freed inmates again commit offenses and go back to prison, according to the President.
“Kaya karamihan balik sa presuhan,” he said.
“Maghanap ka ng kapitbahay mo ex-convict, sige daw kung makakita ka ng isa. Sino man? Wala [You look for a neighbor who is an ex-convict and let’s see if you could find one. Who is it? There is none],” he added.