The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) on Friday declared as a closed case an allegation that the wife of an inmate at the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) had been abducted and raped by prison guards and inmates.
BuCor Director-General Ricardo Rainier G. Cruz III, in a letter obtained by INQUIRER.net, said they are adopting the findings and recommendations of Prison Guards 1 Ronald D. Palmiano and Amado M. Dizon that the case be dropped or closed for being unmeritorious.
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Palmiano and Dizon conducted an investigation last year after the Department of Justice (DOJ) received several letters appealing for help for a woman allegedly abducted and gang-raped inside NBP.
The investigators, in their memorandum to Cruz, said that they managed to talk to the inmate with prison number N210-P-1056 of Dormitory 6C of the NBP’s Maximum Security Compound and his wife.
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“Surprisingly, (the inmate) refused to cooperate with the investigation insisting that the proper procedure in handling their case was already violated right from the start.”
“However, he (refused) to elaborate the alleged violation he was claiming. He further asserted that he cannot provide evidence to support his allegations because of alleged threats to their lives,” the investigator’s report stated, adding that the inmate wanted the Women’s Desk to handle their case considering its sensitivity.
The investigators added that they also talked to the alleged abduction-and-rape victim.
“She said she is no longer interested to pursue her case since she cannot recall what happened to her.”
Investigators pointed out that the complainant had the burden of proof to show if the allegation was true.
“Inmate not only failed to cooperate but he also refused to substantiate his accusation. (The) inmate cannot expect his allegation to be treated seriously unless he shows concern… Accusation is one thing and evidence is another thing.”
“These officers cannot understand why the very same person who is seeking justice and had requested for investigation on the alleged ordeal of his wife refuses to cooperate in the ongoing inquiry. The inmate claimed that they feared for their lives which prevented them from cooperating. Such excuse was totally irrelevant if not absurd,” the investigation report stated.
The investigators said that while they want to identify the prison guards and inmates involved and criminally prosecute them, their hands are tied because the complainants refused to cooperate.
The findings were approved by Cruz and concurred in by then Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. RAM