In this photo taken Jan. 9, 2014 and released by the Commission on Human rights in Manila Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014, a "wheel of torture" is placed on the post at an undisclosed police safe house in Laguna province in south of Manila, Philippines. Philippine police officers played a "wheel of torture" game to have fun and punish criminal suspects during interrogations, including bouts of punching named after boxing star Manny Pacquiao, human rights officials and activists said Tuesday. Under the game, detainees, mostly suspected drug traffickers, were punched if the "torture wheel" stopped at "20 seconds Manny Pacman," Pacquiao's nickname, or hung upside down if it stopped at a punishment called "30-second bat," Amnesty International said. The London-based rights group called the practice despicable. (AP Photo/Commission on Human Rights) NO SALES, EDITORIAL USE ONLY
January 27, 2014 - 11:00 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Philippine human rights officials say they have uncovered a secret detention facility near Manila where police play a "wheel of torture" game to determine how to torture crime suspects, mostly suspected drug traffickers, to extract information and have fun.
Commission on Human Rights Chairwoman Loretta Ann Rosales said Tuesday that she was horrified by the discovery of the torture scheme more than three decades after the Philippines emerged from a brutal era of dictatorship.
Human Rights group Amnesty International says that detainees were punched if the "torture wheel" stopped at "20 seconds Manny Pacquiao," named after the popular boxer, or hung upside down if it stopped at "30-second bat position." It called the practice despicable.
Police say they have taken several officers into custody and were investigating the alleged torture.
News from © The Associated Press, 2014