7 BuCor guards relieved over strip search

7 BuCor guards relieved over strip search | Daily Tribune

Without wasting time, Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. relieved seven prison guards of their duties to pave the way for a probe of complaints over the cavity search being implemented by the bureau in all its prison and penal farm facilities.

Relieved from their present duties were Correction Officers 1, Karen Soriano, Kiera Iket, Odesa Etong, Ahmor Darasin, Guada Bello, Melowyne Tallongan and Angelique Domingo. They will be placed under attached/unassigned at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Superintendent’s Office.

Their relief order was signed by CCINSP Ruben R. Formoso, OIC-acting NBP superintendent.

Formoso said the investigation on the seven correction officers will focus on how they conducted their strip search, whether they violated protocol on the conduct of the search being implemented by the bureau.

Meanwhile, correction senior inspector Abel Ciruela, Camp Commander of the NBP Maximum Security Camp during a walkthrough Tuesday, showed the media how the BuCor personnel conduct inspection of PDL visitors.

Ciruela said that strip cavity searches are being done on all visitors since 2018, but due to the number of contrabands confiscated inside the camp and the visitors caught smuggling contrabands, the strip cavity search became mandatory.

He pointed out that PDL visitors are given a waiver of right to frisk/pat, rub, strip and/or visual cavity search and those who do not voluntarily submit themselves to undergo the strip cavity search may avail of the BuCor’s E-Dalaw or online visitation.

Catapang justified the strip search being implemented by his personnel, saying that “we have to be very cautious to prevent the smuggling of contraband into our facilities. In the absence of body scanners, we have to do it manually. In the meantime, that we are looking for budget to avail this very sophisticated machine for security screening purposes and to do away with physically removing the person's clothes or making any physical contact.”