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Ilocos PNP bars detainees’ visitors

LAOAG, Ilocos Norte (June 11) — The Philippine National Police (PNP) denied two detainees of their visiting rights on the presumption that these are facing possible national security charges.

Kept in detention at the Camp Valentin Juan in Laoag are Sheila Laoagan and Leonardo Manahan, who were allegedly captured on June 9 in a clash between the 53rd IB and New People’s Army (NPA) Nueva Era town, where two others were reportedly killed.

At around 1:30 p.m. on June 10 Laoagan’s friends went to Camp Juan to visit her but were denied by the PNP officers on duty as this was the order of their superior PNP Provincial Director Juan G. Luna. Manahan’s family was given the same treatment by the PNP.

Families of Laoagan and Manahan, accompanied by volunteers of the Ilocos Human Rights Alliance (IHRA) and the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance (CHRA), again went to Camp Juan to visit them on June 11. Despite repeated pleas of the families and the letter of their counsel Atty. Michael D. Domingo to allow them to visit and confer with the two, the PNP again denied their request.

According to P/S Benjamin M. Lusad, Chief of Intelligence and Investigation Branch at the Ilocos Norte Provincial Police Office who met with the families and human rights volunteers, the families will only be allowed to visit and confer with the detainees after one week as they still have to undergo further interrogation. He also stated that they could not visit and confer with the detainees at present as “it is a matter of national security.” Lusad did not elaborate on his reason.

During the negotiation, the families accidentally saw the two inside a cramped detention cell handcuffed to an iron post that prevented them to move around or even sit down comfortably. As of press time, the families were waiting at the Camp Juan gate, hoping that the PNP will allow them to visit their detained family members.

In a statement, the CHRA stated that the Constitution, specifically its Bill of Rights guarantees the rights of detainees or any person under investigation to legal counsel and visitation. The same safeguards the rights of detainees against any form of torture and/or inhumane and degrading treatment.

The same rights are also guaranteed under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

Human rights advocates scored the continued denial of the PNP particularly P/CS Juan G. Luna, Provincial Director and P/S Benjamin M. Lusad, Chief of the Intelligence and Investigation Branch of the families’ rights to visit or simply check the detainees’ condition. The human rights groups added that this was a clear and utter disregard of the law. # Via NORDIS

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