Shocking, worrying, Robredo says of naked inmates

“Shocking and worrying” was how Vice President Leni Robredo described the treatment of inmates at the Cebu provincial jail, who were forced to strip down and paraded before cameras during a drug raid in the facility.

Robredo said the incident was a clear violation of the human rights of the prisoners, whose pictures were posted on social media, triggering an uproar.

“There are many human rights issues at play here. We have very specific laws including the Anti-Torture Act that says government officials have no right to force inmates in prison to undergo cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment that would demean their humanity,” she said.

The pictures released by provincial officials have sparked accusations of human rights abuse, including some comments on Twitter saying they are reminiscent of wartime concentration camps.

Local government officials have defended the mass stripping of the inmates, with one provincial officer saying it’s standard protocol during drug raids. According to news reports, the raid netted several packets of “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride)  and marijuana leaves, as well as knives and mobile phones.

In an interview with Cebu media on Friday, a transcript of which was sent to Manila reporters, Robredo said it was important to question the actions of the authorities involved.

“There are many ways to achieve what they want to achieve—whether they’re searching for contraband or illegal drugs—but not to the extent that they harm or humiliate the inmates of the Cebu City jail,” she said.

“I hope this will not be repeated,” Robredo said.

But President Duterte’s chief legal counsel said he supported the mass strip search, although he was against the public exposure of naked bodies.

“For me, if we’re talking about security, it probably has to be done,” Salvador Panelo said over the government-owned Radyo ng Bayan.

“If it’s just done inside the prison, and it’s only they who see it, I think that could be done for the security process,” he added.

He said he had listened to the explanation of the jail superintendent that if the inmates were not stripped naked and one of them kept a bladed weapon and harmed someone, there could be a riot.

“They are correct,” he said, defending the move.

But he said the authorities should have been careful about exposing to the public the photos of the naked bodies of the prisoners as that would violate their privacy.