Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla has ordered an investigation on alleged violations committed by prison personnel at the New Bilibid Prison NBP) in Muntinlupa City in the conduct of strip search on visitors of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs).
In a statement issued on Wednesday, May 8, Remulla said: "We do not condone degrading or inhuman or absurd treatment towards anyone because we want our prisons to be safe, secure and decent."
He pointed out that the DOJ does not tolerate prison personnel who abuse their authority in conducting physical searches of relatives and friends of PDLs.
“Our Department remains fully committed to upholding the highest degree of respect for human rights in the conduct of our Corrections functions and guarantee that our agency will continue to innovate ways on how to improve our services to our PDLs and their loved ones,” he said.
He stressed that the DOJ "is strictly compliant with international standards/policies on the proper conduct of body searches, specifically, pertinent rules under the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for Treatment of Prisoners (Nelson Mandela Rules) which generally underscore that searches should be conducted in a manner that is respectful of the inherent dignity and privacy of the individual being searched.”
“In addition, proper decorum of prison personnel conducting physical searches are highlighted under the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Operating Manual on how a proper search must be conducted, providing certain repercussions/penalties against those proven to be carrying illegal contrabands,” he also said.
The DOJ issued the statement in response to allegations made by the wives of political prisoners that they underwent “degrading, humiliating, and traumatic” strip search during a visit at the NBP last April 21.
“The humiliating experience of the wives of political prisoners need to be investigated for outright violations of international and national laws governing the treatment of prisoners and visitors and violence against women as well as for brazen harassment,” said Fides Lim, spokesperson of KAPATID, a support group of families and friends of political prisoners.
Lim said the wives have already filed last May 6 a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) over the incident. Manila Bulletin reported that the CHR has started its own probe as it expressed "grave concern" over the incidents.
She said the wives were made to sign a waiver that gave their consent in undergoing the strip search.
But she said the waiver is used as a tool of abuse and body cavity search has become the rule rather than the exception for most PDLs in violation of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners that intrusive searches should be undertaken only if absolutely necessary.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. had earlier defended the conduct of strip search due to the rise of visitors getting caught with contrabands hidden in their private parts and underwear.
Catapang said that since October 2023, the BuCor has caught 30 visitors of PDLs trying to sneak in contrabands in their private parts and underwear.