Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. relieved seven prison guards of their duties to pave the way for the investigation relative to the complaints of the spouses of the persons deprived of liberty due to the body cavity search being implemented by the bureau in all its prisons.

Relieved from their present duties were Correction Officers Karen Soriano, Kiera Iket, Odesa Etong, Ahmor Darasin, Guada Bello, Melowyne Tallongan, and Angelique Domingo.

They will be placed under the supervision of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) Superintendent's Office.

Their relief order was signed by CCINSP Ruben Formoso, OIC-Acting NBP Superintendent.

Formoso said that the investigation on the seven correction officers will focus on how they conducted the search, to determine if there were violations of the protocol.

Meanwhile, BuCor senior inspector Abel Ciruela, Camp Commander of the New Bilibid Prison Maximum Security Camp, during a walkthrough Tuesday, showed the media how BuCor personnel conduct inspection of the jail visitors.

Ciruela said that the search was being done in all visitors since 2018, but due to the numbers of contrabands confiscated inside the camp and the number of visitors caught trying to smuggle in contrabands, the body search became mandatory.

He pointed out that the jail visitors are given a waiver of right from the search and those who do not voluntarily submit may choose the BuCor's E-Dalaw or online visitation.

Catapang justified the search being implemented by the bureau 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."