MANILA, Philippines — The wife of a political prisoner on Monday filed a complaint at the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to protest the “degrading and traumatic”strip and cavity search she was forced to undergo to visit her husband on Dec. 29, 2019 at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.
Jimmylisa Badayos, wife of detainee Calixto Vistal, said she was instructed to remove her shirt and pull her pants and underwear down to her knees, after which she was asked to jump thrice while squatting.
A mirror was also placed between her legs.
Kapatid, an organization composed of the families of political prisoners, said strip searches were a violation of international standards.
It quoted guidelines known as the Mandela Rules which state that searches should be “conducted in a manner that is respectful of the inherent human dignity and privacy of the individual being searched.”
Kapatid also noted that it was usually detained drug lords, and not relatives of political detainees, who conspire to smuggle illegal drugs into prison by any means.
“Body frisk with inspection of belongings/packages should suffice as the standard protocol,”said Fides Lim, Kapatid spokesperson.—Matthew Reysio-Cruz