CHR seeks probe on 'hazing' of cop recruits

MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is asking the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to investigate the alleged hazing of police recruits at Camp Eldridge in Los Baños, Laguna.

In a letter to DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo, who also chairs the National Police Commission, CHR Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales said she recently received an e-mail saying that newly admitted policemen, including the e-mail author, were at Camp Eldridge for a 30-day orientation course for the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB).

“But instead of being properly trained, they were allegedly subjected to hazing starting on the second day of the orientation. The author claimed they were paddled with baseball bats and (beaten up) from time to time for no particular reason. The author begged for our intervention for fear that something worse might happen to them,” Rosales said.

“However, on July 28, I received a CD that contained two video files showing that the recruits were being subjected to hazing. I surmised that the CD came from the same person who wrote the e-mail last March,” Rosales said.

The first video showed the recruits blindfolded and ordered to remove all their clothing. The trainers then smeared the recruits’ genitals, anus and underarms with extracts of red chili pepper, resulting in excruciating pain.

Meanwhile, the second video showed the recruits being forced to chew and swallow ground red chili pepper. Afterwards, they were made to drink water mixed with pepper and lick the RPSB symbol painted on the concrete base of the camp’s flagpole.

Eight rookie policemen have been placed under restrictive custody after they were captured on the video torturing the recruits, said PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr.

The eight are PO1s Roque Oro, Rovylyn Addatu, Evan Mark Cuartero, Marfe Adler, Jhun Plonelo, Allan Pascua, Melvin Malihan, and Troy Sumayod. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe