‘I Was More Scared When I Got Released’: Testimonies of Young Philippine Torture Survivors
This interview is part of the United Against Torture Consortium’s Voices for Human Dignity multimedia initiative. This initiative celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Convention against Torture (1984-2024) by giving a voice to torture victims, experts, and activists.
Prado and Saucelo live in Bagong Silang, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. They were both detained on suspicion of drug-related offenses when they were just 17. Now in their 20s, they recall not only the beatings and mock executions by police, but also the clear threat of retaliation that kept them silent after their release.
“I was more scared when I got released because I had no idea what could happen next, if they thought I had maybe reported them or something,” said Prado.
“Most of the police, if you have something with them, if you cause them trouble, they will come back to harm you,” said Saucelo. “If they get fired because of your complaint, your life is also going to be fired. They’ll come back for you.”
Prado was released without charge, while Saucelo was forced to confess to gambling and was imprisoned for a month. Police found no evidence to charge either of them with drug-related offenses, and, fearing retribution, neither made an official complaint against the police for their mistreatment.
Shortly after their release, Prado and Saucelo were able to access rehabilitation services, which helped them restore a sense of dignity and purpose in their lives.
“We learned how to communicate with others,” says Saucelo. “Before we had a bad tone, even with elders. Now if someone wants to open up we say, ‘Just go ahead. Speak up. We will listen.’”
“We didn’t think we would learn such things from them,” says Prado. “But we learned about children’s rights, about human rights violations. In our situation … we need that knowledge.”
This content was produced by the #UnitedAgainstTorture Consortium (OMCT, IRCT, FIACT, APT, OMEGA and REDRESS), funded by the EU. The contents are the sole responsibility of UATC and do not necessarily reflect the position of the EU.
