Tolentino, dela Rosa to sponsor measure vs. torture, cruelty in jails
MANILA, Philippines — Senators Francis Tolentino and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa are set to sponsor a measure seeking to end torture and other cruel or unusual punishment in detention centers across the Philippines.
Tolentino, chairperson of the committee on justice and human rights, said the measure which he will sponsor together with dela Rosa is called the National Preventive Mechanism Act.
“Ito po ‘yung para maging transparent ang ating mga kulungan. Hindi lamang sa national penitentiary, maging ang mga immigration detention centers at temporary detention centers ng ating senior citizens,” Tolentino said in a press conference, right after he met with members of the United Nations subcommittee on prevention of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of punishment (SPT).
(This is to make our prisons transparent. Not only in the national penitentiary, but even the immigration detention centers and temporary detention centers of our senior citizens.)
“[Ito ay] para mahadlangan ang torture, cruel, and unusual punishment sa iba’t ibang detention center natin na in violation doon sa convention na ating nilagdaan.” he explained.
(This is to prevent torture, cruel, and unusual punishment in our various detention centers that are in violation of the convention we signed.)
Tolentino said the SPT members have promised to be the resource persons during the hearings to be conducted by the Senate committee on justice and human rights in 2024.
Dela Rosa, in the same press conference, confirmed that he will sponsor the measure with Tolentino, highlighting that it is in compliance to the Optional Protocol on the Convention Against Torture, Cruel and Inhuman or Degrading Punishment, otherwise known as OPCAT.
