Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said yesterday he is not taking lightly the reported complaint of political prisoners’ wives that they were strip searched during their recent visit at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City.
“The BuCor is willing to be investigated on this matter in order to clarify their position on matters pertaining to the visitation of persons deprived of liberty (PDLs),” the BuCor chief said in Malaysia, where he is attending a summit.
The wives of PDLs filed a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights on the strip search during their visit on 21 April 2024.
Catapang has ordered an investigation of the complaint but defended the strip search pointing out that it is strictly being implemented in all operating prison and penal farm of the agency in response to the increasing number of visitors caught sneaking in contrabands placed in their private parts.
CCINSP Roger Boncales, acting superintendent of NBP, reported to Catapang that strip search to all visitors of PDLs should be implemented since random search and frisk search proved ineffective.
“There was increase of those who wanted to bring in contraband and they are hiding it in different parts of their body, thus we should be more strict,” Boncales said.
About 30 PDL visitors were caught from October 2023 to 8 March of this year bringing in contrabands like suspected illegal drugs and tobacco concealed inside their private parts and others tucked or sewed into their underwear.
Boncales explained that under the Bucor Operating Manual on visitor control, all visitors shall be subjected to a thorough body search and their belongings/packages screened for contraband before entering the security camp and women visitors shall be searched only by female corrections officers and it is done in a private area with the consent of the concerned visitor.
“As NBP acting superintendent, it is my duty to ensure the orderliness of the visit and the observance of the established visitation procedures,” Boncales said.
‘Women visitors shall be searched only by female corrections officers and it is done in a private area with the consent of the concerned visitor.’
“We have to be strict, without fear or favor in the implementation of strip search, otherwise we will negate in our responsibility of protecting our PDLs and if we exempt an individual, we might be accused of giving VIP treatment,” Catapang said.
The BuCor chief said that last year they asked Congress for additional budget to buy full body scanner machines just like those being used in airports.
“With this, it can detect objects even those inside a person’s body for security screening purposes, without physically removing the person clothes or making any physical contact,” he said.
“Medyo may kamahalan ‘yung machine (The machine is costly), but it is needed to ensure security in prison facilities. The machine costs between P20 to P25 million each and initially the BuCor needs at least five,” Catapang said.
Inspection demo
Meanwhile, BuCor personnel gave a walkthrough on the stages of visitor inspection which includes the registration and verification of relations to the PDLs, the use of X-ray machines, metal detectors and manual inspection of bags and other belongings.
BuCor staff also demonstrated how they conduct “body frisking” on male and female visitors.
Body frisking is done inside a cubicle by a jail officer to ensure privacy.
Waivers are required and jail officers explain it to visitors prior to frisking.
For visitors, if they are wearing caps on the head, they are required to remove them upon entering the visiting area, shirts are required to be lifted to see if there are contrabands tucked on the waist or on the shorts or pants. The BuCor said shirts are not removed entirely. Footwears are also inspected by jail officers.
“Kailangan po talaga itong body frisking kasi marami po ang nag-a-attempt na magpasok ng contraband especially illegal drugs and tobacco dahil malaki po ang presyo no’n sa loob. Marami ang nagpapagamit bilang isang courier ng illegal drugs (Body frisking is necessary because many are attempting to sneak in contrabands especially illegal drugs and tobacco because these command high prices inside. Many let themselves be used as courier of illegal drugs),” correction senior inspector Abel Ciruela said.
The bureau added that it has always been conducting cavity searches but only in 2018 that it became mandatory.
“Matagal na pong ginagawa ‘yang cavity search, pero nung 2018, ginawa na po siyang (Cavity search has long been conducted but in 2018 it became) mandatory due to the growing incidents of confiscation of contrabands inside ng kampo (the camp),” Ciruela added.