BUREAU of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio P. Catapang Jr. on Friday said the bureau will welcome the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) who may review the established protocols and procedures being implemented by the agency in its prisons and penal farms.

This developed as Catapang ordered the stoppage of strip cavity search being implemented in all operating prison and penal farm of the the bureau pending the result of the investigation being conducted by the bureau.

This will also give them time to review its protocols and procedures, Catapang said.

Catapang reached the decision after meeting today with BuCor officials.

Meanwhile, Catapang welcomed the CHR in BuCor saying “If this will further improve our services to our stakeholders and the public, any technical assistance that the CHR may extend to us will be very welcome.”

Catapang disclosed that he sent a letter to Focal Commissioner for Prevention Commission on Human Rights, Atty. Faydah Maniri Dumarpa, to assure her that BuCor is one with their cause of upholding human rights and this is why the searches on visitors of PDLs are done in private cubicles by same gender searchers following standards of hygiene and sanitation.

Search procedures, according to Catapang, are fully explained to the would-be visitor before any bodily search is done. The contents of the Waiver of Right to be searched are explained to the visitors where they sign to signify their willingness to be bodily searched.

“Should a visitor refuse to undergo the search procedure, such visitor may opt to avail of our electronic visits or the “e-dalaw”. Visitors are not compelled to sign the waiver. Minors are not subjected to strip searches,” Catapang explained.

He also informed the lady Commissioner that relative to body cavity searches being conducted, BuCor has uncovered 19 positive results from of the genital part of PDL visitors consisting of four incidents/confiscations of illegal drugs and 15 incidents/confiscations of other contrabands.

As to the complaint of two PDL’s wives, Ms. Maricel Alcántara and Ms. Gloria Almonte, which stemmed from the incident that transpired on April 21, 2024, Catapang told Dumarpa that the subject lady searchers were relieved of their assignments while the investigation is ongoing to determine whether they have done the search in accordance with the procedures.

Catapang assured the CHR that BuCor’s efforts are aligned towards the desired outcomes through adoption of safe and standard protocols that adhere to the Mandela Rules.

Further, BuCor’s protocols are dynamic and have been made in line with the current trends of correctional management responsive to the emerging needs of the institution, Catapang added.

The strip search is strictly being implemented in all BuCor’s Operating Prisons and Penal Farms (OPPFs) due to the increasing number of visitors being caught sneaking into contrabands in their private parts. Sneaking in contrabands-which is carried out by PDL’s visitors by surreptitiously hiding them in their private parts-is a lucrative venture inside OPPFs.

The BuCor, meanwhile, released 195 persons deprived of liberty from May 1 to 10 of this year, bringing to 13,836 the total number of PDLs released under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Of the said number, were released due to expiration of the maximum sentence ( 138), paroled (7) granted probation (5), and acquittal (45).

The released PDLs are from Correctional Institution for Women, 16 ; Davao Prison and Penal Farm, 20; Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm, 6; Leyte Regional Prison, 7; New Bilibid Prison Maximum Security Camp, 71; NBP- Medium Security Camp, 41; NBP Minimum Compound, 6; NBP Reception and Diagnostic Compound, 7; Sablayan Prison and Penal Farm, 6; and San Ramon and Prison Penal Farm, 15.

Last month, a total of 805 PDLs were released from various prisons and penal farms due to:

* Expiration of their maximum sentence – 548
* Acquittal -67
* Granted probation-28
* Habeas corpus – 1
* Granted parole – 161