By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following a reported incident out of Luzon where police officers allegedly ordered suspects to strip naked and bend over, the Negros Occidental Commission on Human Rights (CHR) yesterday called on local police to avoid destroying their credibility.
CHR-Negros Occidental head Romeo Baldevarona called the aformentioned incident “notoriously offensive” and a violation of RA 9745, or the Anti-Torture Act of 2009. He said, despite being under arrest, suspects are still entitled to their rights and must be assumed innocent before being proven guilty by a court of law.
Baldevarona pointed out, while they have no complaints pertaining to similar incidents in Negros Occidental, there was a case surrounding a woman nabbed for attempting to smuggle  illegal drugs by hiding it in her genitalia. However, the suspect did not file a complaint as law enforcement followed proper procedure./DGB, WDJ