DOJ's Remulla orders probe on NBP strip searches

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered an investigation into reports of strip searches being conducted on families of persons deprived of liberty (PDLS).

In a statement issued Wednesday, Remulla said the Department of Justice (DOJ) will never tolerate erring prison guards who are found guilty of abusing their authority to conduct physical searches.

“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,” 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 added.

Remulla also ordered a review on the sanctions which may be imposed against erring officers.

This came after the wives of PDLs and political prisoners filed a complaint with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) against the strip search they experienced at the New Bilibid Prison Maximum Security Compound on April 21.

One of the wives, Gloria Almonte, said she was “nearly in tears and trembling” and was asked to bend over while being subjected to inspection. Another wife said she had to repeat the procedure at least 10 times as she supposedly wasn’t doing it right.

For his part, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Catapang ordered an investigation into the complaint. He also welcomed any investigation against the agency.

Remulla reiterated that the DOJ is strictly compliant with international standards on the conduct of body searchers, specifically rules under the Nelson Mandela Rules which underscore that searchers should be respectful of the dignity and privacy of the individual.

CHR launches probe

Meanwhile, the CHR expressed concern over the strip search, saying it has launched its own investigation on the case.

“While we recognize the importance of maximum security inspection to ensure the safety and security of correctional facilities, it is vital that these security measures do not jeopardize visitors' fundamental human rights,” it said.

“Inspections must be conducted in a way that respects the dignity, privacy, and rights of all individuals involved,” it added.

The body stressed that it has issued an earlier statement against the strip search being conducted by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. It said that the agency’s search guidelines should not be arbitrary and should not target the families of political prisoners.

The CHR cited Rule 51 and 52(1) of the Nelson Mandela Rules, which state that security searchers “shall not be used to harass, intimidate, or unnecessarily intrude upon a prisoner's privacy" and that "intrusive searches shall be conducted in private and by trained staff of the same sex as the prisoner." — RSJ, GMA Integrated News