A series of photos by AFP photojournalist Noel Celis depicting deplorable conditions of an overcrowded prison in the Philippines has made Internet rounds. Some even questioned the authenticity of the photos, not believing that they were actual scenes of everyday life in the Quezon City Jail. The man who took the pictures shared his reactions and thoughts regarding the photos.
Celis declared that in no way were any of the photos staged or scripted, in a report by Forbes. He proved it by sharing a video on his Facebook page that showed that overcrowded prison.
Even if Celis visited the Quezon City Jail twice before shooting the photographs, he still was shocked when he saw the prison conditions during nighttime. He said, "I already visited that jail two times, but had no idea that at night it would be like that." He described the prison as "like hell" inside.
When Typhoon Haiyan hit the city of Tacloban in Southern Philippines last 2013, Celis spent time there to fulfill his job as a photojournalist. Even if the typhoon killed over 10,000 people, he still described the Quezon City Jail as "closer to hell" than Tacloban.
Celis said his primary motivation in taking photos of the prison is not to win an award. He said he wants to raise awareness regarding prison improvement in the Philippines. According to a report by Time, the Quezon City Jail's capacity is only 800 inmates; however, there are currently around 3,800 prisoners inside.
Despite the horrible conditions, Celis noted that some of the inmates still feel lucky to be alive. The recent war on drugs staged by newly-elected Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has taken the lives of around 700 people since May. Some prisoners feel that it is better to be in jail rather than be out in the streets where they could possibly lose their lives.
The prisoners have to find open spaces for them to sleep. Due to the overcrowding, some inmates have to take turns in order to sleep. When it rains (the Philippines gets around 20 typhoons a year), the problem becomes worse due to the lack of shelter.
Below is a video containing some of the photos.