WHILE inmates in Tondo Manila's "secret jail" said they were tortured, held to ransom and used to extort their families, they changed their tune when asked by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald Dela Rosa.
A local police chief was relieved last week after the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) found out a secret jail inside the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 1 where arrested drug suspects were alleged tortured.
"'Yung sampu inisa-isa ko silang lahat, kinausap ko. Kaya ko naman nasabi na okay lang sakin ‘yung ginawa ng mga pulis dahil nga I found out na number one hindi sila kinotongan, hindi sila hinihingan ng pera para maareglo mga kaso nila,” Dela Rosa said in an interview Monday night.
Dela Rosa said the inmates were thankful for the food provided by policemen assigned in Station 1 as their families were not visiting them.
During last week's inspection, the CHR discovered a jail behind a bookshelf inside the said station, which it described as inhumane as it is lacking of adequate lighting, ventilation and toilet facilities.
The CHR said they were also told by the inmates that the policemen demanded P40,000 to P200,000 from them exchanged for their freedom.
Dela Rosa claimed the inmates admitted having lied to the CHR officers who conducted the inspection.
"Sabi nung isa 'Sir sinabi lang namin iyon, nagsinungaling kami sa CHR dahil akala namin mailalabas kami ng CHR sa kulungan after that inspection'," he said.
But he admitted putting inmates in a makeshift prison cell is against the law.
Earlier, the police chief of Tondo station said he transferred some of the inmates in a temporary cell as their cell is already overcrowded.
"Paano ang gagawin namin? Damned if you do damned if you don't. Naghahanap na nga ng paraan ang pulis para hindi masyadong masikip 'yung prisohan kasalanan pa?" said Dela Rosa in defense of his men.
However he said he ordered his men assigned in the said police station to face whatever consequences of their actions.
Meanwhile, Dela Rosa said his respect for Senator Panfilo Lacson remains intact despite the criticisms he received from the lawmaker for defending the actions of his men in the Tondo police station.
"I respect him, he is my idol pero kung sabihin niya na arrogant 'yung 'pag depensa ko sa mga tao ko na hindi nangongotong, hindi naga-abuso, pasensiya na, iba 'yung standard niya ng arrogance," he said.
Lacson, a former PNP chief, called Dela Rosa "arrogant" for siding with his men who maintained a "secret jail" inside the Tondo police station.
"CPNP Dela Rosa misses the point entirely. Defending policemen for maintaining an unlivable secret prison cell hidden behind a book shelf inside a police station is incomprehensible," said Lacson. (VoxPop Philippines)
