Kapatid, the support group of political prisoners, hailed the suspension of strip and cavity search at the New Bilibid Prison but questioned “invitations” issued by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Division of Intelligence and Investigation to Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim to go to their office for investigation.
“Kapatid welcomes the BuCor announcement on the ‘immediate stoppage’ of strip and cavity search among PDL visitors. We hope that this order will permanently translate into full compliance with international human rights standards that prohibit the use of strip and cavity search as a routine and regular policy measure,” said Kapatid spokesperson Fides Lim in a statement.
“But we seek an explanation about the two standing ‘invitations’ of the BuCor Division on Intelligence and Investigation to me that I deem as harassment. The first is in relation to a supposed complaint from Inmate Visiting Services Unit (IVSU) head Evangeline Rabara who supervises the visiting area where the strip and cavity search occurs, and the second is from the NBP Medium Security Camp Commander Ruben Formoso,” said Lim who heads Kapatid.
“’Invitations’ from security units are always alarming and even dangerous because they are not truly optional. They are in fact coercive and a form of intimidation to compel obedience yet create uncertainty and anxiety for the individual summoned,” said Lim.
“I have sought legal representation from the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) which has been going with us to the New Bilibid Prison with law students from the De La Salle University School of Law to provide legal assistance to political prisoners,” Lim said.
She said that FLAG member Atty. Evelyn Dominguez already wrote BuCor director Gregorio Catapang to ask if these “invitations” emailed to Kapatid by the BuCor intelligence office “were done with his knowledge and approval.”
Dominguez also asked Catapang to “provide more details about what these incidents referred to in the invitations are all about, what the nature of these investigations will be, and the full names and positions of the officials” requiring Lim to appear for investigation.
Lim added: “In fact, I accompanied the law students on April 7 to the Medium Security Compound so I don’t know what the Medium Camp Commander has to complain about when the NBP routing slip noted that ‘with regards to the De Las Salle University School of Law who will provide legal assistance, this office interposes NO OBJECTION.’”
As for the complaint of IVSU head Insp. Rabara, the FLAG letter said: “This could be in reference to KAPATID’s complaint against the most degrading and dehumanizing strip search/body cavity search recently conducted on family members of political prisoners, which has not been previously done on such relatives of non-drug-related prisoners/detainees. However, whether they be relatives or not of drug-related prisoners, such intrusive search procedures are also degrading and dehumanizing, especially given the fact that your office has x-ray machines and sniffing dogs at your disposal. At any rate, this matter is already the subject matter of a separate complaint lodged with the Commission on Human Rights (CHR). Hence, it is no longer within the purview of your intelligence office.”
The FLAG letter further said: “Our client is a regular visitor at the Bureau of Corrections prison facilities as the head of KAPATID to extend humanitarian support to political prisoners, especially the elderly and ailing who are growing in number. She has expressed her reluctance to accept the ‘invitation’ from the Intelligence Division, which to her, is highly troubling. Hence, she has requested us, her lawyers, to appear before your office on her behalf.” (PR)
