Philippines: gay prison guards can’t search

GLBTI rights groups have criticised a move by the Philippines’ Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to ban gay and lesbian prison officers from strip-searching people of the same sex who are suspected of smuggling contraband into prisons.

“At no instance [shall] a female homosexual jail officer be allowed to conduct body search on female jail visitors, while a male homosexual jail officer cannot body search a male jail visitor,” a memorandum from the bureau said.

The policy was already in place but was formally put in writing and disseminated to wardens in September 2010 as a reminder.

“We want to make sure there is no malice, and [that] the subject of the body search does not become uncomfortable,” BJMP director Rosendo Dial said.

GLBT Filipino political party Ladlad holds that the policy is discriminatory and underestimates the professionalism of GLBT prison staff.

“Just because one is a homosexual, they can automatically assume that there is sexual malice?” Ladlad chair Bemz Benedito said.

“This is a clear case of discrimination on our ranks because it does not account for our capabilities and skills in performing the job, but our sexual orientation.”