STRIPPING OF CPDRC INMATES

This photo from the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) taken on February 28, 2017, and released on March 2, 2017, shows naked inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center sitting in rows at the quadrangle during a joint raid by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the CPPO.
Merlie DACUNOS /CEBU PROVINCIAL POLICE OFFICE / AFP

Being naked in front of female inmates indecent, embarrassing

It was not the stripping naked of the male inmates of the provincial jail that was offensive, but rather the presence of the female inmates while they were sitting in rows at the quadrangle.

Lito Granado, an inmate of the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) who is considered a “bosyo” or leader among the prisoners inside the facility, said he found nothing wrong with being made to strip naked during the greyhound operation conducted by operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the police.

Considering that the law enforcers are dealing with criminals of all sorts, Granado said there is no assurance that nobody would attempt to harm the agents, thus additional safety precautions should be undertaken.

“Ang ako lang okay ra man unta to nga parehaon nga maghubo tanan kay natural man na, mu-depensa man pud sila sa ilang kaugalingon kay basig kani pud baying mga priso, pulos gud na kriminal diha,” he said. “Simbako og duna’y mag-suicide, depensa pud sila sa ilang kaugalingon, sakto pud to ang PDEA sa mu-depensa sila.”

(It would have been all right to subject us all to the same stripping of clothes because it is natural for the law enforcers to take defensive measures.)

Females

However, what didn’t sit well with Granado was how the female inmates were made to stay in the quadrangle together with the naked male inmates.
“Mao sad na ang nakapa-uwaw g’yud namo mga inmates, pagkahibalo namo nga nganong gi-ingon ana ang mga babaye,” he said. “Diri lang ta to ang mga babaye, gipalayo sa mga lalaki. Mao ra man na ang pinaka-kuan g’yud. Naa sila’y sinina but ni-comment sad sila kay law-ay baya tan-awon na ang mga laki hubo. Law-ay baya tan-awon gawas lang og gi-lahi ang mga babaye, wa gi-apil sa mga lalaki kay okay ra, normal ra na. Ang nakasakit lang gud namo, ang ka-uwaw namo nga hubo mi tanan unya naa diha ang mga babaye nag-tan-aw. Sakit baya.”

(That was what embarrassing to us, when we found out that the female inmates would be made to stay there with us in the quadrangle during the raid. They might have been clothed but they also commented on the situation because it was not proper and decent to see the males naked. They should have separated the males from the females. We were very embarrassed by our nakedness in front of the females.)

Protocols

Meanwhile, Tessie Fernandez of the Lihok Filipina urged the PDEA and the CPDRC officials to review their protocols during greyhound operations.

“That is degrading, not just for male inmate but as well as for female inmates who were there,” she said.

She considered the undressing of inmates as inhuman and an abuse of protocol.

Meanwhile Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia blamed Governor Hilario Davide III on the “lurid comedy of errors” at the CPDRC.

“The point of this all is: What was the official keeper of the jail, in this case Gov. Davide, doing about this? This is his responsibility. … It’s all about command responsibility,” Garcia said.

New Bosyo

Granado is scheduled to be transferred to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa tomorrow (March 14). He will be choosing his successor.

Granado explained that it is still uncertain at this point who would take over his position, but it should preferably be someone agreed upon by the inmates as well as the administrators of CPDRC.

According to Granado, a “bosyo” is necessary in order to maintain internal peace and order among the inmates of the facility.

“Ang pag-galam diha sa sud sa mga piniriso unya pag-tan-aw sa mga problema diha sa sud, labi na kanang pulos mga kriminal namuyo diha unya kinahanglan naa pud kay balaod diha sa sud nga di na sila mag-away, di na sila mag-patay, way away,” he said. “Kay kung wa gu’y leader diha sa sulod, lagmit kada adlaw naa’y patay, mag-away. Kinahanglan naa g’yud siya’y leader nga mubarog diha, nga mu-presenta sa patakaran nga bawal diri magsukmagay, bawal mangawat, pareha sa gawas ba. Basta daghang bawal na prisenta sa balaod nga dala sa bosyo. Pananglitan duna’y makalapas sa balaod sa bosyo diha sa sud, duna ta’y parusa nga ipahamtang. Usahay amo sad na I-refer sa administration kung unsa’y angay nga buhaton kay kung wa gud na’y leader diha, mahitabo gud mag-gubot. Gubot, wa’y tahuron.”

([The role of the bosyo] is to take care of the prisoners and look at the problems that we have inside. Considering that everyone here is a criminal, it is necessary to implement rules in order to maintain the peace and order of the facility and prevent fights. If there’s no leader inside, there will be killings and fights every day. There should be a leader who will set the rules prohibiting fights and stealing, among others. If someone breaks these rules set by the bosyo, they will have to answer to him and be punished. Sometimes, we would refer them to the administration to be dealt with. If there’s no bosyo inside, riots would ensue because the prisoners won’t have anyone to answer to.)