The Bureau of Corrections’ statement justifying routine blanket strip searches diverts attention from the greater sources and systemic causes of contraband smuggling in BuCor facilities.
Thirty persons caught smuggling illegal drugs in their private parts or clothing over a six-month period begs the question if the enormity of the drug problem at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) comes from where the sun don’t shine, or is it from the otherwise greater nether region of institutional corruption.
The justification for routine strip search represents flawed reasoning and a disproportionate response that violates the rights and dignity of all. The sin of one or 30 is not the sin of all.
Moreover, it is a frightening admission of the coercive climate and deteriorating state of human rights at the NBP. This should all the more prompt the Commission on Human Rights as well as Congress to investigate the complaints of political prisoners’ wives about the strip search they were suddenly subjected to on April 21, 2024.
There is a reason why the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners exist and why strip search is strictly discouraged and generally proscribed.
Strip searches including body cavity searches are severe intrusions upon an individual’s privacy and dignity. This why the Mandela Rules, which outline the fundamental rights and principles that should be respected in all prison facilities at all times, state these should only be conducted when “necessary and appropriate.”
By setting a minimum standard, the aim is to ensure that even in the most basic or under-resourced facilities, prisoners are treated with dignity, their basic needs are met, and they and their visitors are protected from abuse and mistreatment.
By resorting to intrusive strip searches as routine procedure, authorities not only violate the law but also perpetuate a cycle of trauma and degradation for both the prisoners and their families. Such practices do not align with the principles of human rights, justice, fairness, and respect for human dignity that should guide government institutions, especially those tasked with the responsibility of rehabilitation and correction.
What’s the point of investing in the latest body scanner machines or allocating a higher budget if prison officials choose to disregard human rights standards and gender sensitivity, believing they are exempt from the law? | KAPATID Press Release