The Philippine National Police’s Special Action Force (SAF) has given assurance that all prisoners at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City are being treated well.
This, after wives of prisoners claimed that some NBP inmates were maltreated during SAF’s second “Oplan Galugad” on July 23.
SAF spokesperson Jonalyn Malnat said that as part of the operation, prisoners were asked to step outside their dormitory while SAF troopers searched for contrabands, and ordered some of them to strip down as part of frisking and searching operation.
“Of course kailangan namin silang palabasin but they were treated humanely. We adhere to human rights. Nirerespeto po namin sila,” she said.
She denied that prisoners were doused with water and made to stay under the sun.
“Wala pong nangyaring ganoon. Siguro sa gulat nung iba, merong tumaas ang BP [blood pressure]. May kasama po kaming medical (team) at inassist pa po namin sila,” she said, adding that no prisoner was hospitalized during the search operations.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) allowed again yesterday the entry of visitors after they were barred on Saturday because of “Oplan Galugad.”
However, they are only allowed to see their prisoner husbands and relatives at the NBP visitation area.
Conjugal visits have been suspended and visitors are not allowed to bring in food and medicines.They can only bring in P1,000.
Malnat said the “Oplan Galugad” was done by SAF in coordination with the BuCor, PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
She said some prisoners tried to hide contrabands like cellphones from SAF.
She said the SAF will continue searching for contrabands in the NBP.
“Magtutuloy-tuloy ang activities namin na ito. Hindi po kami titigil unless we are told to do so,” dagdag ni Malnat. (Jonathan Hicap)