Wheel of torture
WHEEL OF TORTURE
Ten (10) Philippine National Police officers have been discharged after revelations that they played a game called “wheel of torture” at a secret detention facility. The Commission on Human Rights is looking into the supposed maltreatment of up to 41 detainees in the Philippine National Police facility in Biñan, Laguna. The facility is a 200-square-meter bungalow being rented by the Laguna police intelligence branch first district unit composed of 12 staffs. At the kitchen area, the police improvised a small prison cell by enclosing a portion of it with iron bars.
The officers allegedly used a roulette to decide how the prisoners were to be tortured, either as a punishment or to force them to give information to intelligence officers or just for fun. This was a practice that was thought to have ended with the removal of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos many years ago.
Under the game, detainees (mostly drug traffickers) were; punched for 20 seconds if the “wheel of torture” stopped at “20 seconds Manny Pacman,” referring to the nickname of a popular Filipino boxer, Manny Pacquiao; hung upside down for 30 seconds if it stopped at a penalty called “30-second bat”; or threaten the detainee with a gun on his head and that the police will kill him.
President Aquino has promised to take steps to prosecute violators of human rights in past years. Some rights groups say violations have continued with impunity under the Aquino’s administration. The officers, who had been relieved of their posts, were identified as Chief Insp. Arnold Formento, SPO1 Alexander Asis, PO3 Freddie Ramos, PO2 Marc Julius Caesar, PO2 Aldwin Tibuc, PO2 Melmar Baybado Viray, PO1 Nelson Caribo, SPO2 Bernardino Artisen, PO2 Mateo Cailo and PO2 Renan Galang. The people think that it is not appropriate that the officers were only relieved of their posts. They should have received a more proper punishment like imprisonment, or paying fines.
Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) asked the
Ten (10) Philippine National Police officers have been discharged after revelations that they played a game called “wheel of torture” at a secret detention facility. The Commission on Human Rights is looking into the supposed maltreatment of up to 41 detainees in the Philippine National Police facility in Biñan, Laguna. The facility is a 200-square-meter bungalow being rented by the Laguna police intelligence branch first district unit composed of 12 staffs. At the kitchen area, the police improvised a small prison cell by enclosing a portion of it with iron bars.
The officers allegedly used a roulette to decide how the prisoners were to be tortured, either as a punishment or to force them to give information to intelligence officers or just for fun. This was a practice that was thought to have ended with the removal of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos many years ago.
Under the game, detainees (mostly drug traffickers) were; punched for 20 seconds if the “wheel of torture” stopped at “20 seconds Manny Pacman,” referring to the nickname of a popular Filipino boxer, Manny Pacquiao; hung upside down for 30 seconds if it stopped at a penalty called “30-second bat”; or threaten the detainee with a gun on his head and that the police will kill him.
President Aquino has promised to take steps to prosecute violators of human rights in past years. Some rights groups say violations have continued with impunity under the Aquino’s administration. The officers, who had been relieved of their posts, were identified as Chief Insp. Arnold Formento, SPO1 Alexander Asis, PO3 Freddie Ramos, PO2 Marc Julius Caesar, PO2 Aldwin Tibuc, PO2 Melmar Baybado Viray, PO1 Nelson Caribo, SPO2 Bernardino Artisen, PO2 Mateo Cailo and PO2 Renan Galang. The people think that it is not appropriate that the officers were only relieved of their posts. They should have received a more proper punishment like imprisonment, or paying fines.
Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) asked the