Torture scene in a Manila police station

This video was shot on a mobile phone in a Manila police station. It shows a plainclothes police officer torturing a small-time thief by pulling a string attached to his genitals.

WARNING – DISTURBING CONTENT

The date when this video was shot is not known.

According to chief superintendent Roberto Rongavilla, the policeman responsible for these violent acts is chief inspector Joselito Binayug, who leads an investigative team in Manila’s Tondo district. Although Binayug denies being the man in the video, he had already been accused three times of human rights violations in the past. In February, the inspector was charged with murder for a crime he allegedly committed in July 2009.

The Superintendent assured the family of the victim that the incident is being seriously investigated, and that there would be no white washing. The 11 policemen accused of participating in the acts of torture have been suspended pending the investigation.

"Most Filipino policemen were trained under the dictatorship"

Dominique Lemay is French, he has lived in Manila for the past 23 years. He works for the NGO Virlanie, a group that raises awareness on human rights among prison guards and policemen.

Everyone knows this kind of thing exists. I personally witnessed a violent scene in a Manila police station: a petty thief was being beaten with a phone book. I work with a juvenile detention centre where I’ve heard many stories of violence, torture, even rape. The only difference is that, this time, the scene was caught on camera, so the policemen involved will be held accountable.

I think recent governments have worked hard to curb this kind of violence, and I’ve noticed a real improvement in the prisons I work with. The current justice minister, Leila de Lima, was formerly president of the Filipino Human Rights Commission, and I think she is very concerned by the issue. But most Filipino police officers were trained under the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos [1972 – 1986]. Their behaviour won’t change overnight."