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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider CHR starts probe on 'strip search' of female visitors at Bilibid

CHR starts probe on 'strip search' of female visitors at Bilibid

Published May 14, 2024 03:43 am

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has started its probe on alleged violations committed during strip searches of visitors of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said on Tuesday, May 14.

“Just like everybody else, we want to ferret out the truth,” BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. said in a statement.

BuCor said that the team of CHR investigators who were armed with a mission order signed by Human Rights Protection Cluster Director IV Jasmin Navarro Regino arrived on Monday, May 13, at the NBP.

The CHR investigators are lawyer Rommel Tinga, Special Investigatigator (SI) III Michele Tuliao, SI III Mays Sylvette Rojas, and SI II Ma. Milanie Arao, it said.

It also said the team will investigate complaints by PDLs' wives who claimed they were subjected to "humiliating, degrading, and traumatic" strip searches last April 21. The wives filed their complaints before the CHR.

Before the start of the investigation, BuCor said it gave the investigators "a briefing and simulation of the strip cavity search to give them an idea on how visitations are conducted inside the NBP to maintain peace and order,” said the bureau. 

It said its personnel also gave the CHR probers "a tour at the NBP's Maximum Camp, including the conjugal facilities and the park for PDL visitors and their children,” it added.

The CHR investigators issued subpoenas to the bureau’s female personnel who were involved in the assailed incident to submit their sworn statements.

Earlier relieved of their posts were Corrections Officers 1 Karen Soriano, Kiera Iket, Odesa Etong, Ahmor Darasin, Guada Bello, Melowyne Tallongan, and Angelique Domingo.

Catapang expressed surprise why the two wives filed their complaint considering that they have been undergoing the same procedures since their husbands got incarcerated.

“Bakit sa dinami dami ng pagbisita nila sa asawa nila mula pa sa Bureau of Jail and Management and Penology hanggang sa nailipat dito sa Bucor, the same protocol ng inspeksyon ang dinadaanan nila, kaya ako nagtataka bakit itong dalawang complainant ngayon lang sila nagreklamo? (I am perplexed why they filed the complaint now considering they undergo the same inspections since visiting their husbands when they were still with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology up to now when they have been transferred to the BuCor),” he said.

Related Tags

Commission on Human Rights Bureau of Corrections
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