President Duterte is incompetent. Every death is a human rights abuse.

The Secretary of State should be seeking access for medical and humanitarian aid. My guess is there are many political prisoners as well. My understanding is that Duterte is Catholic, but, then so is 90 percent of the Philippine population. Duterte has openly criticized the church and the bible. (click here)

Political prisoners need to be released to return to a productive life and international help has to address the conditions these prisoners are facing. 

October 4, 2019
By Jessie Yeung

One in five detainees (click here) at the Philippines' national penitentiary die every year, officials at the prison hospital have revealed.

About 5,200 inmates at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) die annually due to overcrowding, disease and violence, according to hospital medical chief Ernesto Tamayo, CNN affiliate CNN Philippines reported.

Tamayo, speaking at a Senate hearing on Thursday, said the overcrowding had led to unmanageable outbreaks of pulmonary tuberculosis, CNN Philippines said.

The NBP, located in Muntinlupa City outside the capital Manila, has been embroiled in scandals for months. Thursday's Senate hearing was just the latest development in an ongoing investigation into allegations of corruption at the Bureau of Corrections.

Public outrage began in August, when rumors spread that a former mayor currently serving time for a 1993 rape and homicide would be released early for good behavior....