Bato: Secret cell inmates lied to CHR

The inmates of the “secret cell” found in a Manila police station lied to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) when they said they were abused by their captors, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Tuesday said the inmates, who were found by a CHR team last week in a dark, narrow space concealed by a bookshelf at the Manila Police District’s Raxabago station, admitted to him that they were lying when they said policemen had tortured or asked them for money.

“I went to them and not one [of them] said that. I asked them why they said that to the CHR and one of them said: ‘Sir, we lied because we thought the CHR would be able to get us out of jail after that inspection,’” Dela Rosa added.

He denied that he was protecting the station commander, Supt. Robert Domingo, and the members of the station’s Drug Enforcement Unit who were relieved of their posts after the discovery of the secret cell.

“If it is determined that they violated the law by detaining the inmates outside the recognized detention cell, then they will answer for that because they did wrong,” Dela Rosa said. “Even if they say in defense (that) ‘we did that because there was no more space,’ then you will have to defend that in court if you are charged.”

The PNP chief, however, said he felt bad for the policemen who were only trying to “maximize space.”

“Too bad for my policemen … [the regular cell] was overcrowded and so they looked for space … and now they are the ones [accused of] wrongdoing,” he added.

“Legally, they have to answer for that [secret cell] because that was not authorized. But were they supposed to cram [the detainees into the regular cell]? Won’t those people die of suffocation?” Dela Rosa said.

CHR chair Jose Luis Gascon could not be reached for comment regarding Dela Rosa’s statement.

In an earlier interview, Gascon said the agency would cooperate with Congress and law enforcement agencies to put an end to secret police jails.

“The commission welcomes all efforts at shedding light into the matter of secret detention facilities, including the call for a Senate inquiry,” he said. “We are prepared to cooperate with the Senate as well as any other institution including law enforcement agencies to develop durable solutions.”

The PNP, however, has not reached out to the commission. “While some public pronouncements of PNP officials are encouraging, we have yet to sit down to work out the next steps in resolving the issues. In the meantime, the investigation continues,” Gascon added.

A surprise inspection led to the discovery of the secret cell on April 28. The detainees told Gilbert Boisner, CHR National Capital Region director, that some of them had been there for days without any charges being filed against them.

They have since been moved to the jail at MPD headquarters. —WITH DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN