The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has started investigating the death of a Makati City Jail inmate amid allegations that he was beaten up by guards who broke up a noise barrage on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Based on the report of a six-man fact-finding team from the CHR tasked to determine the circumstances surrounding the death of Arnold Marabe, their “initial impression” was that his rights and that of other prisoners were violated.
The team noted that “90 percent” of the 522 inmates bore injuries, with “bruises from nightsticks, etc.”
The spokesperson of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), however, said Marabe, who suffered from tuberculosis, died of health-related concerns.
“The investigation is for us to understand what happened and identify culpability,” CHR Chair Chito Gascon said Thursday, noting that there was an antitorture law that specifies the liabilities of government personnel should an inmate be hurt while in their custody.
“So if we find there is criminal liability, we [will] make recommendations to the [Department of Justice] and for administrative liability, maybe to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) or the Department of the Interior and Local Government,” he added.
Marabe, who died at Ospital ng Makati, was reported to have bruises on his body. He was brought to the hospital following the hours-long barrage staged by several inmates who had complained about being maltreated by some jail personnel.
However, BJMP spokesperson Senior Insp. Xavier Solda said the protest was initiated by 11 inmates who had complained about the raids conducted by prison officials under “Operation Greyhound.”
He said the BJMP welcomed the probe.
“So if there was excessive use of force, we will see that in the results of the investigations,” he added, noting that the BJMP has an “administrative and disciplinary machinery” that identifies the sanctions meted out against guilty personnel.
But Solda stressed that Marabe’s death “definitely” had nothing to do with what happened in the facility. “He was a tuberculosis patient who had clinical concerns.”
As for the bruises found on the victim’s body, Solda said at one point during the “violent” noise barrage, Marabe was evacuated with several “sickly and elderly inmates” by nurses stationed at the city jail.
“The way was narrow and slippery because of the water from the water hose and there was no electricity. At that time, there were inmates throwing hard objects at those being evacuated,” Solda added.