JAIL OFFICERS ARE UNIQUE FRONTLINERS
Last night, I was prodded by an Officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), a uniformed service branch of the Philippine government, who I respect not only because she was responsible for assigning me as Assistant to the Regional Chaplain when I had the most challenging journey as a Jail Officer in 2010 in BJMP Caraga in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, Philippines, but foremost because she has been a person who deserves respect in all aspects and estimation.
She asked me to respond appropriately against the disappointing bashing that the Jail Officers had scored from the netizen espesically 'Bravo Siera' who posted “Gayagaya naman mga bjmp...sa office nmn kau nakatalaga at sa mga jail...ang tinatawag na frontliner ung nasa labas na nagchecheckpoint at ung mga nasa hospital." (Jail Officers are just imitating. They are assigned in the office or in the jail. Frontliners are those assigned outside manning checkpoints and those who are in the hospital.)
For Mr. Bravo Siera, your post may just be a product of sheer ignorance. Whoever you are and whatever reason your infamous post had, please allow me to answer you appropriately by directly addressing the bone of your contention:
WHAT IS A FRONT LINE?
Merriam Webster's Dictionary defined 'Front Line' in 2 senses. The PRIMARY sense pertains to military application as it is first used, to mean either a) a military line formed by the most advanced tactical units; b) an area of potential or actual conflict or struggle.
Based on this definition, a checkpoint or a hospital cannot even be considered a 'front line'.
However, the word front line does not have only one meaning. It is not a univocal term having only one possible meaning; unambiguous.
It has a SECONDARY meaning which says 'the most advanced, responsible, or visible position in a field or activity.' This is where checkpoints, hospitals and others qualify as 'front lines'.
To elucidate some example, a teacher who is most responsible for the education of the young children report for work in the classrooms, their front lines, and called front liners in the field of education. Doctors and nurses who have learned the most advanced knowledge in medicine have hospitals as their front lines. Police and fire personnel report to checkpoints as the most visible position of containing the movement of people so as to prevent the spread of COVID 19 are also called front liners in the battle against COVID 19, to mention but a few.
Given these examples, can we say that the jail is exempted from the application of the meaning of the term 'frontline'? The answer is a big No! Movies and novels or essays even referred to jails as front lines when the battle, the conflict, the violence happens thereat. Based on the definition and on common experience, one can surmise this thing: WHERE THE ACTION IS, THERE THE FRONT LINE WILL BE!
In my post last 16 March 2020, I made it clear that as Jail Officers, our front lines, our ‘combat zones’ are the jail facilities. Our all-encompassing reason for existing (raison d'être) is to enhance public safety and order. As we do our noble tasks, we make communities safer and more orderly. We safekeep and develop people who are alleged of crimes so that the public, could sleep soundly because, basically, every second, 24/7, we make it sure that there are no suspected criminals roaming around the streets who would most likely commit crimes yet again if they will be let out on the loose.
in relation to COVID 19, we have done all the precautionary measures and the JAIL FACILITIES NOW, our FRONT LINES, are in TOTAL LOCK DOWN. There is absolutely no in and no out for a month as our country deals with the same enemy. One COVID 19 infection in a jail, a place which is considered a ticking time bomb, means a disaster. For the duration of the JAIL LOCK DOWN, most of us, those who are really at the heart of the battle where the fiercest battle against COVID 19 is raging, mostly custodial officers and jail nurses, left our families behind to engage the common enemy, COVID 19, head on and make our jail front lines, like what the doctors, nurses etc. in hospitals and police, fire, military personnel are doing in checkpoints, impenetrable of COVID 19. All the jail officers are engaged in this battle. Support groups and monitoring teams are activated for swift actions. We are therefore, ALL FRONT LINERS!
But then again, do we just intend to stay at our front lines? No. Under the law, we may be called by the President to help the military in times of war. And some of us in some places in Luzon, are already called upon to render checkpoint duties along with our military and police counterparts. This means we are ready to serve when duty calls, whether it be in our known front lines or to the unfamiliar battlegrounds if only to serve this republic with pride and honor.
To Mr. Bravo Siera, if you only feel that you and your kind are the only qualified front liners, then we fear that this battle will not be won; for to win against this great battle is to FIGHT AS ONE!
WE ARE YOUR JAIL OFFICERS. WE ARE PROUD FRONT LINERS IN THIS BATTLE AGAINST COVID 19!
MAY GOD SAVE US FROM THIS VIRUS AND EVENTUALLY HEAL OUR LAND!