Following the discovery of a “torture cell” allegedly ran by local police in Laguna, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Etta Rosales said Friday that military facilities should also be inspected for possible torture chambers.
At a press conference, Rosales said she has already directed government officials who are part of the national monitoring mechanism against human rights violations to also check on camps and other facilities ran by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) all over the country.
“Hindi ba karumal-dumal iyon? Hindi ba kahayupan iyon? Kung nakita natin as late as ngayon, mayroon din siguro sa mga militar,” the CHR chairperson told reporters.
Rosales added that her commission will also be inspecting provincial intelligence branches and regional offices of the Philippine National Police (PNP) across the country.
“Gusto talaga natin na no stones left unturned. Puntahan lahat ito… We will go all over the Philippines and do intensive work in trying to monitor, expose, oppose, and dismantle these facilities of torture,” she said.
The CHR chief also warned military and police officials against dismantling torture chambers ahead of the inspection, saying they may be charged for tampering with evidence.
“Chances are they might dismantle, pero malalaman din natin iyan. Ang hahanapin natin kung may torture victims,” she said.
She added that she is coordinating with the AFP’s and the PNP’s leadership to be able to put in place “systemic solutions” to stop incidents of torture by security officers.
Earlier this week, the CHR exposed a secret prison in Biñan town in Laguna where policemen allegedly beat up and abuse inmates using what has been called as a “wheel of torture.”
Another had a prisoner hung upside down, like a bat, for 30 seconds.
On Thursday, however, Rosales said these police officers should also face criminal charges. — RSJ, GMA News
