PNP. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police on Monday disputed the allegations of Karapatan that key officers of the human rights group were not allowed to visit four political prisoners at its custodial center in Camp Crame last Sunday.
A PNP Custodial Center official, who requested for anonymity, told INQUIRER.net that Karapatan members were allowed by the police to visit National Democratic Front of the Philippines peace consultants Eduardo Sarmiento, Eduardo Serrano and Renante Gamara and another political prisoner Ramon Argente however “limited.”
Earlier, Karapatan denounced the PNP for crossing off the names of Karapatan Chairperson Marie Hilao Enriquez, Secretary General Cristina Palabay and Defend Job Philippines project officer Ivy Joy Valencia on the list of allowed visitors because of their “derogatory record.”
In the statement of Karapatan on Monday, the visit was supposed to be part of Karapatan-NCR’s yearly solidarity “Paskuhan” with the political prisoners.
“This was done despite no stated basis on the allegations of the derogatory records and in spite of the fact that Hilao-Enriquez is an appointed independent observer in the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations,” Palabay said in a statement.
But the PNP official said there were 23 Karapatan members who sought for the approval but only 17 were accepted, leaving six others, including Enriquez, Palabay and Valencia, unapproved since “they have to regulate the number of visitors in the custodial center.”
Senior Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, PNP spokesperson, also said that “the police are not barring anyone to visit prisoners, whether they were political or otherwise.”
“Our concerns are only the regulation (sic), visiting hours and the security protocol. The rule still applies to all,” he added.
According to the PNP custodial center official, visiting hours are from 9 a.m until 3 p.m. every day except Monday and Friday.
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